Sweet, Sour & Spicy
by suspensegirl
Summary: Some doubt from B's returning BFF has her doubting a bit of her boyfriend's fidelity. Alongside of that is Serena dealing with her complications with Carter, and Nate & Vanessa's overwhelming denial of each other. CaS, NV, CB - EARLY S3 SPOILERS
1. Trouble in Paradise

A/N: Ok… *deep sigh of possible guilt* I said I wouldn't, and it is bad of me to put _Reminiscent Views_ on the backburner for the sake of this mini-3 part ficlet, but I _must_. I was going to just write a little oneshot of two scenes that my mind concocted, but after I witnessed a couple of S3 sneak peeks today and became utterly intrigued, saddened and inspired, I could not put this away for later or perhaps forever. I needed to heal my little CB heart, even if it should not even be in need of healing.

*This fic is meant to take place in the first few episodes of S3 before everyone starts back in to school. If you have read my most recent oneshot about the game CB have been playing, this is a kind of more angsty view of how that type of activity could wound a relationship, instead of making it more exciting. On Serena's return from abroad, she suggests this to Blair pretty intensely…and it gets Blair thinking about all the possibilities and just what could follow after that. In side points, there is Serena trying to forget about Carter, and meeting up with Nate in the process. CaS, CB couplings & CS, NS, SB friendships. R & R!

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**Ch.1—Trouble in Paradise**

"Serena Van der Woodsen," the brunette spoke cockily as she eyed her best friend strolling down the street she had just recently stepped out on. The blonde spun around in a whirl.

"B!" she exclaimed, clearly surprised under the scrutinizing gaze of Blair Waldorf.

"Might I inquire as to why I haven't heard from you all summer?" she raised a brow.

Serena laughed softly. "W-what are you talking about Blair?" she avoided her eyes.

"Oh nothing…"

She looked at her strangely then and proceeded to turn around and continue her walk. That is, until she felt the brown-haired vixen's perfectly manicured hand halting her on her shoulder. "Except that I know exactly _what_ you did this summer, and _who_ you did it with."

Serena spun around. "_What are you talking about_?"

"Carter Baizen? Really?" she scoffed. "The boy is evil."

A smirk implanted itself on her face. "You didn't think so during your meltdown era earlier this year," she crossed her arms against her chest.

She scoffed again. "You _do_ realize you said the word meltdown in that sentence, right?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm aware, but—"

"No buts!" Blair waved her hand in a silencing motion before her face. "Meltdown equals anything can happen! No ifs, ands _or_ buts!"

The blonde chuckled. "I see. So when Chuck had his meltdown, denying you, insulting you and finding it more important to help the supposed 'most beautiful woman he had ever seen' from the gentlemen's club…instead of you, you were completely okay with it?" She arched a brow.

"That was different! His father and just died!"

"So…_his_ meltdown activities were unacceptable, but yours weren't?"

"There are limits, Serena!" She sighed, eager to have this whole argument over. "We're getting off track," she told her calmly. "I just want to know…are the rumors _true_? Are you and Carter Baizen, an …item?" Curiosity laced her question.

She sighed.

"Hesitation?" the brunette asked, her lips curving up in a quirky smile.

Serena rolled her eyes and turned away. "You've been around Chuck too long," she muttered.

Blair scoffed, moving after her best friend. "There is nothing wrong with being around Chuck all summer," she defended. "He's been a complete gentleman, everything I could ask for, and we've been having a very, _very_ good time." Her voice lowered.

"Ugh. Gross, B." Her nose scrunched up.

She was flat out smiling now. "It's not all sex, Serena. There's like…talking too," she carried on cheerily.

Serena shook her head. "I don't wanna know."

The brunette chuckled a bit. "I'm serious! We've gone…boating, on walks in the park," she seemed to be zoning dreamily. "He even got us our own little place to share during the summer," she nodded proudly.

Serena turned to her. "Seriously? You guys are living together?"

Blair beamed.

"Wow," she turned to look in front of her again. "That's…that's commitment."

Her smile softened with the twinkling in her eyes. "I know."

"But—wait, if you're living with Chuck, what's going to happen when you go off to school? You're going to live in the dorms, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but there's always the weekends, or skip-days—"

Serena stopped her. "_Skip days_? Since when do you ever… 'skip'?"

She scoffed. "Hey, I could skip!" The blonde looked at her skeptically. "I could!" The skepticism did not fall from her best friend's face and Blair's confidence faltered. "Okay, fine. I would hate to miss a class," she huffed. "I hated it in high school, and I will hate it in college, but…" she paused, "if I need somewhere to crash, I've got somewhere to go. Somewhere I'll never be afraid to go, because I always feel loved there."

"Wow. Look at you, getting all sentimental on me. And over _Chuck_ of all people."

Blair rolled her eyes. "I think I have a reason to. He told me he _loved_ me."

Serena nodded. "Yeah I got that memo. And that's amazing, B."

She smiled at that.

"But…just be careful."

"Huh?" She turned in front of the blonde, halting her feet as well. "Just 'be careful'? You've known how Chuck felt about me for a pretty long time, S. Why are you suddenly doubting?"

The blonde sighed, sensing that this conversation was a long time coming. "I know he loves you, I do. Even through all the mess that was Chuck Bass this year, I knew he loved you. I just—"

"What?" she asked, almost frantically, her brown eyes penetrating.

"You know his reputation."

Blair sighed.

"I just don't want you getting hurt, B."

"He said he wouldn't hurt me this time, Serena. He told me this time would be different."

"And…how is this different from _any_ other guy you've dated?"

Blair's ruby lips pursed together. "Because it's _Chuck_, S. He wouldn't do that."

Serena's brows rose. "Alright, tell me then, what is your most common activity these days—"

The brunette opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced.

"…_besides_ sex, B," she looked to the ground momentarily. "I want to be able to eat my lunch today."

Her expression faded from angry into a playful challenge. "Of course."

Serena lifted her eyes.

"We play a game…"

The blonde grimaced. "I thought you guys were _done_ with games," she sighed.

"Oh, it's not as bad as you think," she looped her arm through her friend's, and tugged her along to walk again. "You see, we watch as girls empty the buildings by NYC or…you know, some classy place," she shrugged, oblivious to her best friend's raised eyebrows and shaking head. "We agree on one, and then Chuck seduces them."

Serena stopped momentarily, looking at her best friend as if she'd lost her mind.

"No, it gets better," she turned her friend away to walk again.

The blonde sighed, allowing herself to be pulled along once more. "Oh, I'm sure it does," she muttered.

"He brings the girl home," she paused momentarily, smiling at the word 'home' and what it meant to her, which was a lot, "And then, just as they're about to kiss or whatever else," she shrugged briefly, "I come out of nowhere and freak the girl out!"

Serena looked towards her, wondering if she was actually serious. She was.

"It's very fun, S. Sometimes I even chase them around the room," she giggled, "And you know what the best part is?"

"What?" the blonde cringed, hoping the story would end soon.

"At the end of the day, Chuck is still mine and he's still in love with me and…oh S! You should see the way he looks at me," she sighed dreamily.

"I'm sure it looks quite similar to how he looked at all those sluts before he screwed and shooed them," she mumbled.

Blair stopped and turned to face in front of her friend again. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing, I—" she paused, realizing just how much she had overstepped her bounds, "—I just don't want you to get hurt, and…well, you're heading back to school now, most of us are."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Your point is?"

"How are you going to stop him from kissing one of these girls? What if…what if one of these days you catch him kissing a girl or—or worse?"

She huffed. "I think I know my own boyfriend."

Serena looked at her sympathetically. "I know you do," she reached out to touch her hair, but Blair snapped away. "You've got his heart, B. No one else could've done it, but you did. I just…"

Blair raised her eyebrows, waiting for the pathetic punch line.

"Your boyfriend is _Chuck Bass_."

She looked taken a back, and even stepped away from her as if frightened.

Serena sighed. "B—"

And suddenly vulnerable Blair was gone. Her head snapped up, and she carried on a voice of the most cheerful air. "Don't feel bad, S. You're just looking out for me, I understand. But if you don't mind, I think I can figure this one out on my own."

The blonde nodded.

"Weren't you on your way somewhere?"

She sighed. "Yeah, Eric wants to meet up for lunch."

The brunette smiled brightly. "Well then, send E my love," she leaned forward and hugged her tightly, "Good to have you back." She smiled once more and turned away.

"…thanks," she whispered pathetically after she had gone. "Good to be here," she muttered, sufficiently proceeding then to turn back around and head in the intended direction. …………………………………………………………………………………

It was starting to irritate her.

Chuck had been on the phone the _entire_ time. Since the moment she had come he had been talking to some possible client or partner or whoever it was that he was dealing with on a daily basis. For not one moment had he even really acknowledged her presence, except for the brief moments where he helped her into the car and shut the door. He could've at least…looked at her lovingly, couldn't he? _Sigh_. It wasn't as if she wasn't proud of him for all of this, all his work. She was ecstatic and her heart soared for how well he had taken up his father's business and how professionally he had been handling everything during the summer. But…when he picked her up, she expected that he would pay attention to her! This wasn't a time for his _work_; this was a time for her, for _them_.

Normally she would bug him to a relentless degree until he would've finally ended the call and made a point of readdressing the matter _later,_ when she _wasn't_ in his presence. But not today. Today, it just bugged her.

She sighed dramatically, and this seemed to have alerted him. His head began to turn to her, and she grew hopeful. But her heart dropped at the realization that he was just looking towards the limo driver to confirm the reality of their current destination…which they had reached. The driver came around and opened to door for him. Chuck stepped out onto the pavement, and turned around instantly (as if from habit), grabbing hold of her hand and pulling her gently onto the sidewalk.

_Still he was talking._

The door shut behind them as they began to walk, Blair Waldorf's slow movements becoming all the more noticeable by the frown evident on her face. Her brows fused and she knew she had been in the wrong to stop Serena Van der Woodsen, _especially_ to question her concerning her rendezvous over the summer.

_"How are you going to stop him from kissing one of these girls? What if…what if one of these days you catch him kissing a girl or—or worse?"_

_What __**was**__ she going to do? What if Serena was right? Was it only a matter of time? It wasn't like Chuck Bass was known for fidelity._

She gulped.

_But he wasn't known for falling in love either…_

She sighed.

"Blair," he called after her. Apparently in the process of thinking too much, she had grabbed a hold of his hand and started charging forward. He had always liked walking slowly with her each afternoon when he picked her up. She would pester him to get off the phone and he would make it up to her by looking at her lovingly and kissing her like his life depended on it.

Today was not one of those days.

She looked back to him and slowed her pace. "Oh," she said, startled. "I didn't know your phone date had ended," she snarled, hardly meaning for it to come out so harsh.

He looked at her amused. "I didn't know there was a third party," he pulled her to him, lowering his voice; "You hardly made an effort for my attention."

She settled into his hold temporarily, but then focused back onto her heartbreaking thoughts, coming to the realization of how realistic they actually were. I mean, she had never really given in to Serena's ideas without coming to the grips of how logical they were…_she_ knew Chuck better than Serena. _She_ had been dating him all summer and he hadn't cheated. _She_ had consented to their little game, _and_ enjoyed herself. _She…she…might be blinded by love?_

She blinked. "Oh, my bad," she smiled briefly, turning to walk away, slower this time. His brows furrowed, but he allowed her to take the lead and walked along beside her.

"It's a nice day today, Waldorf," he smiled happily into the wind.

"Yep, _great_ day," she ground her teeth.

He intertwined his fingers between hers, but she hardly allowed him access, and within moments she was charging forth again, pulling him forcefully along when he didn't speed up to her pace immediately.

"Sheesh, Waldorf! What's with the speed today, huh? I thought you _liked_ our slow walks," he questioned her, wriggling his fingers in reflexive motions once they stopped.

"Look! We're here!" she announced cheerily, pointing to the building before them where they would normally watch girls enter and decide which would be victim to their little game.

His eyebrows narrowed, and he immediately detected something unusual going on inside his girlfriend's little head. Not that he hadn't detected it immediately when she stepped into the limo earlier, but he was hoping it would blow over and he could just kiss away any remaining troubles. _That didn't seem to be the case. _

"Blair—"

"Ooo! Shh! They're coming," she lowered her voice to a whisper, and pointed to the women exiting the building just beyond them. She made eye contact with him, but only for about half a second before engrossing herself in the figures waltzing down the cement steps and across the pavement.

Reluctantly, Chuck finally turned his figure and watched the lesser beauties make their way past him and _his_ beauty. He tried to wrap his arm around her as they leaned back against the thin iron fence guarding the house behind them. She ground her back against the fence though, and prevented him access. It was too awkward, in this situation, for him to be wrapping his arms around her shoulders, so he settled for gripping the fence holds and focusing back on the decision at hand.

He offered a suggestion after at least five minutes, five minutes of which Blair had said nothing and seemed to have slumped into her own little world. _Definitely not thinking about the decision that had to be made for their little game. _

"The red-head," he said.

"No," she said, "she's too short."

He raised his eyebrows but settled with it. "The blonde," he suggested.

"Which one?" she asked, watching as three of them fell in line in front of them.

He chuckled. "The leader," he smirked.

She turned and glared at him. Something which, quite honestly, shocked him_. She would've smirked at that_, he told himself. _She would've found it __**amusing**__. _

"The huge hoops," he offered, motioning to the caucasian with short black hair and humungous silver, sparkling hoop earrings.

"Absolutely not," she sighed.

This time she gave no explanation, and he didn't request one.

"Blair—" he said turning to her.

"Are you gonna cheat on me?" she asked, beating him to the punch with the speed of her body's turn.

He gaped. "What?" he asked, like it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

She rolled her eyes, inwardly slapping herself for being so blunt…so _vulnerable_. "Uh…nevermind, passing thought. Hahaha!"

He looked at her strangely now, assessing her every expression and movement, being unable to come to any reasonable conclusion. "Blair."

"I don't think we should play this game anymore," she walked away from him then and continued down the block. It took him a few moments to figure out what had just happened, but as soon as it did he had flown down after her and made her stop once she had reached the second step leading up to an apartment complex.

"Blair…"

She sighed, tiredly.

"I…" he looked at her utterly confused, "I thought you wanted to play the game," he said, more confident now.

She opened her mouth, but for the longest time it seemed to her she could not say a thing. "I did," she tried to sport the same confidence, "I _**do**_," her voice quieted and weakened as her gaze fell to the ground.

He looked at her skeptically. "What's going on, Blair?"

"Nothing," she said, raising her gaze to his and sporting a cheery 'I feel wonderful because of you' smile.

He saw right through it.

"I'm not buying it," he spoke slowly.

Her eyebrows furrowed furiously. "….and why _**not**_?"

He chuckled at that. "Your eyes aren't matching your mouth," he nearly spat. "We've had this discussion before," he gestured his hand in the air.

She huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Blair, I'd never cheat on you. You know that, right?"

She nodded. "Yes Chuck, I know that."

"Well then…?"

"Nothing I said," she turned to walk away, but he pulled her back to her placement on the cement step.

"I haven't cheated on you all summer, Waldorf. I'm with you practically every second that I'm not sleeping, though that is usually with you as well, or working. Besides that, it's only when I'm in the midst of our little game, a game you seemed to be quite enjoying and enthusiastic about until I picked you up this afternoon. To top it all off, I _hate_ the idea of cheating. You _know_ this." He took her hands in his own and held them close. "_What happened_?"

She had become so swept up in his speech that she nearly forgot why she was upset to begin with.

_"You know his reputation."_

She focused on his concerned gaze and suddenly couldn't see anything but the smarmy faced boy she had grown up with. It frightened her of everything he was capable of. That he was as likely to break her heart now as he had been all year, except this time it would be _worse_ because they were actually together and he had confessed to being in love with her.

She gulped.

"I…I think I should go," she said, moving to leave him, and making it all the way down the steps this time, but only t here.

"I don't think so," he pulled her back to her prior placement. _Again_.

She huffed. "_Chuck_," she whined.

He chuckled at her, shaking his head. "The only one hurting here is you, Waldorf. Spill."

She sighed. "Fine," she spat.

He looked amused and made himself as comfortable as he could, standing and all.

"I ran into Serena today…"

He watched her, mesmerized by the movement of her lips.

"…I questioned her about Carter, since it was all the blaze this summer."

He smirked. "Yeah, how did that go down?" he leaned against the iron fence guiding the steps.

Her eyes flicked to him. "Not well."

His eyebrows rose. "Oh? The rumors are true?"

"I'm thinking so," she sighed. "But that's not the point. She turned the conversation around and suggested that if you haven't cheated on me already, you're going to in the future."

His eyebrows narrowed. "Oh _really_?" his voice lowered dangerously.

She nodded. "Apparently she thinks that even though I've 'stolen your heart', I haven't 'stolen your body,'" she paused, "…so to speak," she shrugged.

He scoffed, gaping unbelievably at the same time.

"What?" she asked, now upset that she had even told him what had been spinning in her head. Even if she didn't normally keep _anything_ away from him. This unleashed her insecurities. It was the first time all summer she had really felt insecure about _anything_. The last thing she wanted to be accused of was not trusting him.

"I'm gonna kill her," he shook his head incredulously.

"No no no, don't do that. Don't interrogate her or yell at her or manipulate the situation."

He was gaping again now, having felt completely torn up that she had ripped out all the possibilities from under him.

"Now, I feel violated."

A tiny smile formed on her face, and a little fire of hope grew in him. _Progress_.

"She just doesn't want me to get hurt and—"

"Neither do I," he insisted. "Blair," he said, pulling her to him. "I said I'd changed. I said this time would be different, that you could trust me, that I love you."

She nodded along. "I know, I know," she said.

"I do, you know. I love you."

Her eyes sparkled when he said it, but he knew her fears crowded back in again the moment there was silence.

"Do you…not trust me?" Now, _he_ was starting to feel insulted.

"No! No, it's not that!" she tried to tell him, tried to express how she had been so confident of their relationship and how it had all fallen apart as she let Serena's words sink in. How even if he didn't cheat now, he might later…when he only had work to keep him occupied. And his secretary wasn't exactly old…anything was possible. It couldn't possibly be exciting all the time for his sex life. He was used to a different girl every night…and _now_?

"Well then, what is it?" he asked, peering into her helpless falling face. "What are you thinking, Blair?" he pushed a stray hair behind her ear, and her head started to shake. Within moments a single tear found itself trailing down the side of her face, joined by another and another. He pulled her towards him then, unable to take this sadness any longer, and kissed her hard on the mouth, enjoying the small victory when her hands moved from trying to stop her tears and instead twisted up into his deliciously chocolate locks.

When they finally parted, his forehead leaned against hers and he waited until her breathing returned to normal before pulling completely away. He took both of her hands in his own again and pressed a sweet kiss to each of them. She smiled at him, and it seemed to drown out his worries.

"Are we okay?" he asked, desperate for that smile of hers to be genuine. _It was_.

She nodded, smile still in place. "I still think I should go though," she wandered from him again, and he didn't pull her back to him. _He had done all he could_, he thought. His hands did remain connected with her as long as they could reach.

"But you've only just gotten here," he looked on at her confused and only tore away his gaze to glance down at his watch. "I take off for three hours every day to spend time with you, and you're going to leave me stranded after forty-five minutes?"

She shook her head. "I'm sure you'll survive Bass." Then, she walked away. Not as slow as she had walked when initially getting out of the limo, but definitely not as quickly as she had trudged on before.

"I'll be home late!" he called after her, quirking his head to the side mysteriously.

"Ok, I'll just wait at the apartment till you get there then," she called back, hardly turning her head to respond to him. _The apartment? Since when does she call it, the apartment? Wasn't it always…home?_

He couldn't wrap his head around it. _Had Serena honestly been so convinced he would cheat on her? Or was it a simple plea to turn Blair away from the complicated relationship that had evolved with Carter over the summer?_

Sigh.

Regardless, it was inexcusable, and he was going to make sure she knew it_. This…this…sad, vulnerable, depressed Blair that hadn't come out all summer wasn't going to stay for long. And if he had to take out dear old sis in the process, so be it._

He found _SERENA_ in his contacts list…five or so down, and hit _SEND_.

"Serena," he began, "It's your favorite brother calling. I _hope_ you had a lovely time abroad, because I'm about to make your life a living hell."

CLICK.

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"Nate?"

The golden boy spun around to see his long-haired counterpart shocked and surprised to see him in her vicinity.

"Serena!" he said, coming towards her and enveloping her in a warm hug.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" she said, a bounce to every word she spoke.

"You too! How was your time abroad?" he asked, his voice lowering as he jabbed her with his elbow. She slapped his arm away.

"Oh, I could ask you the same question. What happened with Vanessa?"

He sighed exhaustingly. "Oh nothing. She came back early and we're pretty good friends. But that is all."

"I heard," she said, watching his expression change from aggravated to amused. "Gossip Girl does keep up with us all…regardless of our desires," she rolled her eyes.

He laughed. "Very true. Which reminds me, how's Carter Baizen doing?"

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes, "don't remind me."

His eyebrows furrowed simultaneously with the adorable smile splaying across his lips. "What? Tired of people asking? Are the rumors true?"

She sighed, shaking her head.

"A topic for another time?" he asked, interpreting her actions.

She giggled, nodding to his sentiment.

He smiled. "To another time then," he saluted her.

She laughed again. "Yes, and during that other time perhaps we can discuss your latest fling. She's a red-head I hear."

His mouth fell opened at that and she giggled helplessly.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

But her eyes were twinkling and he could hardly be mad at her for assuming the worst of him.

"I'll see you later, Nate," she waved him off and moved past him.

"Good to see you back, Serena."

She smiled.

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A/N: Ok, so incredibly long chapter. I can't believe I wrote it. But I am feeling SO drawn to this story that I will only be updating this until it's over, and then I'll get back to my regular schedule. Please review.


	2. Heartache Healing

A/N: Yes, I'm updating already. Aren't you proud of me? ;p This little ficlet has become my pride and joy in the last 24 hours. Thanks for writing all those wonderful reviews! I truly enjoyed them and it gave me all the more incentive to carry forth today. The only thing I'm worried about is writing Carter in character. So, if it's a bit OOC, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'd like to know how I should write him better since I plan in also including him in the next and final chapter. R & R! =D

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**Ch.2—Heartache Healing**

The door shut behind her, and she made her way lazily through the kitchen area, dropping her small purse on the table beside her as she continued to the bathroom.

Blair Waldorf looked herself down in the mirror, trying to find some imperfection and discovering that there were several. Her nose was too big, her lips were too thin, her eyebrows were uneven and her hair was slightly frizzed. That was just her head. Sighing, she stepped back a foot and leaned her body against the white wall behind her. _Wasn't she enough? Why would he need to sleep with someone else?_

She shook her head in a fervent effort to dispose these thoughts from her previously carefree mind. Turning away from the mirror, she shut the door, her fingers hesitating over the lock. She hardly ever locked the bathroom door when she went in to take a shower. Only when she was in a rush, in a hurry. Because otherwise, it could almost be betted on that Chuck would be in there with her less than a second after she had immersed herself beneath the pounding water.

_But Chuck wouldn't be home for hours._

He never really came home early. It was the reason he spent so much time with her in the middle of the day. Blair bit her lip guiltily. She shouldn't have blown him off so readily. But staying there and putting on a happy face, when she was really falling apart…would've been a work out. And he would've seen right through it.

She already crumbled in front of him once that day. It was not going to happen again. She was going to fix this. She was not going to be weak or fall into some _attempted_ convictions. She was Blair Waldorf, and she believed what she wanted to believe, not what her best friend—who hardly knew Chuck as well as she did—decided to conclude.

She shook her head, feeling as her hair fell forward and danced in loose strands around her face. She would not cry. She would _not_ cry. Her eyes glanced towards the far corner and she nodded approvingly at the sight of the white fluffy towel and robe marked with a B.W. A small sad smirk lifted at the corner of her lips. Immediately she planned out the next twenty minutes, determined that it would cause her fears and unneeded sorrow to vanish. She would take a shower. Wash her hair, Rinse, Condition her hair, Rinse, Soap up her body, Rinse, Turn off the water, Grab the towel, Wrap herself up in the robe, and…after combing her hair out sufficiently, twist it up in her previously used towel---no, scratch that. She would get a new fluffy white towel from beneath the sink, and use _that_ to wrap up her hair.

A content sigh escaped her lips, though a tear on edge breathed through her exhale and she would've been stupid not to realize what was coming.

The world around her seemed to be growing foggy. Pursuing her recently laid out plans wasn't going particularly well. Though she had scheduled said events and was sure of their success, it didn't stop those thoughts from clouding back in around her. Sure, Chuck had said he loved her, but that just reminded her how awful and broken she would be when he cheated on her.

_When? No, if!_

The thought of his hands caressing anyone but hers made her stomach lurch and her previous activities of sticking a finger down her throat to relieve herself….well, they didn't seem exactly bad at the moment.

_No! _

She shook her head, forcing herself to stop.

_Shower. Shower. Shower. Shampoo. Rinse. Conditioner. Rinse. Soap. Rinse._

She nodded rapidly, even beginning to talk out loud to herself about the importance of a routine while activating her daily needs.

_Needs._

Gulp.

A need…in particular rushed to her center, and suddenly all she wanted was to have Chuck there, in her arms, making love to her and helping her forget.

She looked to the door. Still closed. Lock…still unlocked.

"Chuck…" she called out. Silence. Sigh.

Her hands came around to the button on the back of her dress, and she wiggled out of the exquisite fabric, a harsh reality coming to her as she moved past the sewed in belt and pushed the dress to the floor. Chuck wasn't here to help her take off her dress…like he had been there to slowly and painfully kiss her dress up that morning.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Her shoes resounded with a quiet clunk! on the bathroom floor, and she went to take off any and all jewelry and set it along the side of the sink. She would've stayed there longer to scrutinize herself in the mirror, but now that she was nearly naked, she could only imagine the self-torture she would bestow upon herself. She could take so much.

An unclasping of her bra and a slide down of her panties later, she had waltzed into the shower and shut her door, enduring the icy cold water until it decided to turn warm. She relished in the warm water and turned it just a few degrees warmer, allowing the hotter temperature to burn her skin.

She just wanted to forget.

Forget what Serena had said.

Forget how she had let it _stupidly_ affect her.

Forget everything except Chuck's warm kiss along the slender curve of her neck, the way he would whisper her name into her hair too many times to count, and the safe comforting feeling she got when she lay in bed with him.

_Why couldn't she forget?_

Thump.

Blair Waldorf crumbled to the ground in the shower. She was soaked to the bone and her skin had turned red from the heat of the water. Tears mixing in with the pressure of the pounding spray coming from above her. _It hurt_. She swallowed hard and cried, sobbed, cursed the day she was _born_…the day she ever _fell in love_, because all it did was _hurt_ her. All it did was…_break her heart_.

_"You were amazing up there"_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Define like."_

_"Something this beautiful deserves to be seen on someone worthy of its beauty."_

_"On me, you'd be so much more."_

_"In the face a true love you don't just give up…"_

_"We're the same"_

_"We're inevitable, Waldorf"_

_"While there are few things I consider sacred, the limo __**is**__ one of them"_

_"For you, anytime"_

_"You look lovely"_

_"I know you better than I know myself"_

_"I love you too"_

A million amazing sentiments flooding through her mind, and cutting off before ever reaching her heart. A happiness fading, emptiness engulfing…all in the thundering blaze of pressured draining water.

………………………………………………………

The day was getting worse by the second.

Running into Nate had been nice and refreshing after the summer _she_ had had, but…well…

First, her run in with Blair was anything but enjoyable. She knew the second Blair left her all completely fake and cheery and chipper, that it was the last thing she should have said regarding her relationship with Chuck. The last time she had been so sure of Chuck's infidelity was when she learned of Blair sleeping around with him, and then she hadn't even considered a steady relationship with the commonly known womanizer. There was of course the previous summer when she had doubted and had good reason to, because of his almost imminent unfaithfulness to her love struck best friend. It was no coincidence that the brunette had returned from abroad with the supposed boyfriend hanging off her arm. She was in love with him, and Serena learned throughout the course of the year, that he was with her too. He had grown a lot this year, and she should've known better than to doubt his commitment after he finally confessed those three words Blair Waldorf had been dying to hear.

Truth was, she just wanted to get her off the subject: Carter. She inwardly rolled her eyes, huffing dramatically. _What __**were**__ her feelings regarding the reformed wild child?_

He had been like every other guy wanting her attention. She was beautiful and full of spirit, and also quite willing to sleep with just about anyone when in the proper partied drunken state.

But in the midst of looking for her father those years ago in Santorrini, he had found her…and they had found—well, she didn't know. But she didn't plan on figuring it out, whatever _it_ was.

She should've known another adventure to find her father was going to end in the exact same place it had last time, regarding Carter at least. _Screw and scamper—__**away**__ that is_. It was almost more to think about than the encounter with her father, which she couldn't even bother thinking about at the moment. _Why_? She asked herself.

_Because…Carter._

Sigh.

She had pushed away everything from the _old Serena's_ life when she returned from boarding school, but somehow Carter Baizen had weaseled his way back into her life, into _new Serena's_ life, and it felt like history was repeating itself. Only this time he wasn't giving up. He followed her when she fled after their repeat one-night stand. He caught up with her once she reached Manhattan, and through some bazaar incidents they managed to get tangled in…_**another**__ one-night stand_.

Serena gulped, cringing at the guilty feeling near the pit of her stomach.

_She had to __**stop**__. She was becoming like Chuck and Blair, you know, when they were just starting out…and all that their 'relationship' consisted of was…well, you know._

_And she, Serena Van der Woodsen, did __**not**__ participate in a relationship that was only __**that**__. _

_There was only __**one**__ solution to a problem like this: __**AVOID CARTER AT **__**ALL**__** COSTS**__._

She smiled slightly at her concluded resolution. It faltered the moment after it was decided. _Avoiding Carter would be a challenge_, especially since he appeared to show up at every turn.

"Serena!" She felt a hand come around and grasp her elbow, spinning her around, her wild blonde locks flowing with her.

_Fabulous._

"Carter…" her voice dropped, muttering the forced enthusiasm. Her eyes blinked up and she smiled at him, _another forced action_.

He raised his eyebrows, amused at her reaction. "You know, it was not exactly pleasant finding the spot next to me abandoned this morning."

Her eyes shifted uncomfortably.

"Of course the squirrels and chipmunks were thoroughly amusing, having torn holes in my shirt and carried it off to their prospective nests."

Her cheeks started to redden.

"But my favorite part, I have to say, was when the country club manager walked in on my near naked self and demanded I leave his 'family environment'."

She lifted her gaze to his, hesitantly. He was smiling cockily at her, his eyes raking over her face and lowering past her neck. She turned away before she felt the warmth creep over her again. He pulled her to him in an instant, wrapping his arms securely around her waist. "In my defense, I did not see any children during my departure."

"Carter, I—" she tried to break away, but he held her to him, breathing into her ear.

"We'll simply have to find a more secluded hideaway next time."

She spun around at that, and he loosened his grip. "Carter, listen—"

He looked to her, supremely amused. "Yes?"

She sighed, trying to prevent the tingles from overcoming her at the sound of his voice. "You, me, we can't happen."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, I think we can," he smirked devilishly, eyeing her lips as he spoke.

She just turned away, making to leave him without another word. They quite honestly appeared to be useless.

He grabbed a hold of her hand when she turned. "You can't just forget what happened, Serena."

"Leave me alone, Carter," she spoke quite seriously, making a point with her determined stare. Then, she turned away, beginning to walk in the set direction she had planned, and he didn't stop her.

She heard him whistle and she could just imagine the incline of his head across the street. Serena turned around at the sound of his sultry voice again.

"I get the feeling you'll reconsider."

"Carter—" she whined, but then she glanced across the street, spotting a group of photographers charging over once they caught sight of her. She glanced back at the boy in front of her, noticing how he was now a breath's distance away.

"Change of heart?"

She looked at him as if he were crazy, hardly realizing when he untied the strings holding the top half of her summer shirt together, in one fluid movement. Gasping, she pulled it up, holding the material up with the pressure of her hands. When she looked up again, Carter was gone and the paparazzi were flooding around her. She spun and charged away, ignoring the pleas for poses and comments.

_Bastard_.

……………………………………………………………………………

"Serena, dearest."

She spun around. "Oh, Chuck," she said, flustered from her runaway of the press. Once she had readjusted herself to a normal breathing pace, she focused back on the intended target, noticing that the brown-haired smug step-brother of hers was sporting a glare to stake your life on. "Did I _do_ something?"

The evil glint in his hazel brown eyes was penetrating. "Normally I do not find anything you do to be particularly of interest and most definitely not insulting to my most steel-like nature…"

She rolled her eyes. "But?"

His glare had lessened but the simple word reaffirmed his irritation. "But when a certain brunette that I know you know I have become quite fond of comes to me insecure and wanting to break off this little game we had created, a game she'd quite enjoyed up until this point, I find it highly unlikely that anyone besides yourself could've been the cause of this."

"She told you."

He waved his hand around in a subtle gesture. "Who told me is not the point. The point is that you are responsible for the now vulnerable, depressed Blair Waldorf that had completely disappeared this summer, because she's convinced that I'm going to cheat on her at sometime in our relationship."

"Listen, Chuck—"

"No, you don't get to talk."

She looked taken aback.

"You had no reason to suggest such a hideous possibility. I don't care if it was to change the subject away from your own conspicuous love life, I have been and I will continue to be faithful to Blair. If I wasn't planning on that end result, I wouldn't have said '_I love you'_ in the first place. Are we clear?"

"You know about Carter?"

His eyes closed in frustration. "All of New York City knows what your brainless body got involved with this summer," he said flippantly.

Her eyebrows narrowed offensively. "Excuse me?"

He sighed. "I'm here on Blair's account. As long as you don't bring Brother Use-and-Abuse to the family dinner, I'll be just fine."

She was even more insulted, but she decided to focus on the task at hand. "I didn't mean to hurt her, and certainly not to cause another Blair Waldorf meltdown, but I think she has a right to consider infidelity as a possibility."

"Is it so impossible that I've changed?"

She sighed. "I don't doubt she changed you for the better. You've been a successful boyfriend for three months now, without any real issues. Congrats, but…"

"No. No buts. I haven't cheated on her, and I don't plan to. I'm not Nate and I'm certainly not that lifeless British Lord she brought from overseas. When I cheat then you can tell her to stay away, until then…butt out. I said I wouldn't hurt her again, and I intend to keep my promises."

He turned away from her then, stalking towards his parked limo in the distance, and slamming the door harshly on his successful entrance to the now departing vehicle. Serena sighed, unsure if any conversation was going to go well that day. So far Eric was the only success. Lunch with him had been good, but he had been skeptical about Carter as well, so all in all…coming back to the city had not been at the top of her _GREAT LIFE DECISIONS _inquiry.

**BZZ**.

She flipped her cell open, realizing its beforehand silent mode, and figuring by the several missed calls that she had a very angry Chuck on temporary record.

**Carter is trouble, S. You can do better.**

**-C**

The blonde looked at it questioningly, unsure if she was feeling safely protected or insulted for making her own decisions. _A decision that she had decided was nothing?_

She groaned and continued down the street.

_Please day, get better._

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

He was humming carelessly when he entered the apartment and shut the door behind him. He was really hoping the bright, carefree Blair that had left him that afternoon was the one he would be greeting soon. Except _this_ time, she wouldn't be faking it to avoid his concerned questions. He was nothing if not persistent.

She had been able to tell him anything all summer, and vice versa. It should be no different now. Serena Van der Woodsen and her flowing blonde locks would not break the constant trust that had been thoroughly developed throughout the year and was in constant practice during the last three months.

"Blair," he called into the apartment. There was running water, and he thought he'd surprised her. The smirk implanted on his face suggested nothing less than a soothing co-ed shower.

Then, suddenly it stopped, and he heard an eerie sound.

He _knew_ _**that**_ sound.

_Muffled cries_.

"Blair?" he asked softly, approaching the bathroom door. He knocked lightly and the sobbing lessened. She _knew_ he was home, _knew_ he would try to comfort her, and so would _attempt_ to be okay. _Attempt_ so he wouldn't be worried. _She would cry full on when he was gone_.

He turned the knob, hoping she hadn't expected his late arrival. With the way she was acting, there was no way he was going to return to work. He wouldn't have been able to think straight, knowing what a mess she had fallen into. He went to deal with Serena and that was it. Well, aside from a trip to the jewelry store, but he had deposited that little street on the kitchen table coming in.

It was unlocked.

Inside the bathroom, Blair inwardly cursed herself for leaving the door unlocked. Sure, she had done it in hopes that he would come home early, but she didn't honestly think he would. He had said after all that he would be home late…_who was __**she**__ to jinx that possibility?_

Now, she lay crumpled on the floor of the shower, having pushed the door open in an attempt to release the burning sensation imprinted on every inch of her skin. She had risen to her knees to turn off the knob when she heard him call her name, but she couldn't bring herself to stand up and pretend to be alright. She had tried that enough today, and it hadn't made her feel any better. Pretending didn't make her believe the lies like it used to. Chuck had treasured her too much as she _was_. She couldn't believe in what she _wasn't_ without feeling guilty now.

She heard nothing from the moment the door knob twisted and his presence was made known. She could feel him though. Within seconds he had gathered her frail, wet body in his arms and carried her to their bedroom and joining her on the bed, enveloping her in a cozy blanket and wiping the hair away from her face. He held her tightly to him.

_Guess the shower arrangements didn't go as planned_, she mused.

"God, Blair…_what is going on?_" he seemed to be talking more to himself than directly to her, but he could feel her hot tears running down her face and onto his. He felt so helpless. Like nothing he said or did would really help. "What have I done? Is it something I've done? How can I fix this?"

She coughed up a quiet short chuckle and turned around in his arms. The bed was huge and the air inside the apartment was cold, but she felt so safe in his arms. She felt warm and loved and stupid for doubting the most honest, faithful, in-love boyfriend she had ever known.

"You haven't done anything," she looked sympathetically at him, touching his face. He was so concerned and confused, but he took her fingers from his face and kissed each tip before nuzzling his face against the back of her hand. He felt her creep her head closer to him and grip tighter to the edges of his jacket. He sighed across her.

"I—"

"Shh," she told him. "Just lay with me."

And he felt so helpless and that it wouldn't fix things and that they'd wake up the next morning with nothing really accomplished and a hesitant day before them. But he listened to her, because he loved her and he wanted her to be happy, and if this made her believe in happiness, he would do it.

Because he loved her.

It was almost an hour later, and he thought she might be asleep, but you would've had to force him eyes closed to keep him from watching her every movement, making sure she was safe, and helping her feel as loved as he could.

"Chuck," she said suddenly, retrieving her head from under his to look into his eyes. He looked inquisitive and concerned and willing to do anything she asked of him. She had only to say the word.

She leaned forward and kissed him, begging him to deepen it with the pull on his collar. "Chuck," she breathed into him. "Show me you love me." She might as well have been crying out, and the thought alone completely broke him. He tested his lips with hers again, and deepened the kiss immediately, sweeping her up into a passionate vortex.

When he'd lost his breath, he moved his mouth down her jaw and neck to her collarbone and shoulder. Unveiling her from the warm blanket, he drew her close and marked her skin with the hot breaths of his mouth. Her hands went up in his hair, twisting and drifting to release items of clothing from her beloved counterpart.

"I love you," she whispered into him.

"God, Blair…you have no idea," he choked, kissing her harder, more passionately, and more gentle than she had ever dare imagined he could be.

"Chuck—" she moaned.

"I love you," he said, and she made a softly satisfying sound. "I love you," he said again. "I love you. I love you, I love you." He repeated it with each kiss, with each grasp of his hand from her thighs to her waist to the curve of her back. "You're so beautiful," he whispered in awe of her all over again.

And she fell into the rhythm his body plunged. And she loved him, because he loved her, because they fit so well together and he would never hurt her. She had to believe that. She had to believe that with all that she was. No matter what Serena said. She had decide for herself if her boyfriend was faithful or not. And he was.

Feeling the weight of her boyfriend's love thrusting into her, caressing her, whispering sweet love into her…she could not believe she had ever thought otherwise.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

A/N: Hope you loved it! (…and I hope I wrote Carter well enough *gulp*) Please R & R!!! =DDD


	3. Scandalous

A/N: Okay. I am BEYOND frustrated that it has taken me this long to update. *grumbles* I thought it would be SO COOL if I could update three days in a row…but…as expected *rolls eyes* life happened, and I was pushed away from such a magical prospect. *sighs* Also…in the process of thinking about this chapter, I have come to the conclusion that I have a ton more ideas than what I could fit into this mini-fic. *has fallen into some spoilers 'accidentally', causing inspiration* *slightly regrets propositioning this* I would like to…continue it…for longer. Since none of my other fics are set in season 3, and all in season 1 or 2 or in between…this is the only current one I have. And I don't wanna create ANOTHER one, because I have SO many ideas bouncing around as it is. *sighs* So…if you would like this story continued, please vote on the poll on my profile. I have many other things to write and beta and read, and I more than likely won't have a ton of time to do so during the week, so this fic would probably be updated very seldom and possibly not until AFTER S3 starts, but if you want a continuation please vote, and after I update a few of my other things, I will see the odds and we will go from there. ;p

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**Ch.3—Scandalous**

"Mmmm," Serena moaned into the comfortably warm blanket that she found herself curled up in. She couldn't remember all that had exactly taken place the night before, but she was glad of one thing. Carter was nowhere in sight. She moved her face slightly in the direction of where the pillow must've been, and found—

_Oh, crap._

A face. A smooth, perfectly angled and crafted face, with just a tuff of hair beneath the chin. Hardly noticeable but undeniably fun to press up against.

Gulp.

"Carter!" she screamed, tossing her arm across him in an attempt to get up and move away from the very compromising position she had found herself in…for the _third_ night in a row. Not counting the _several_ occasions it occurred over the summer.

He groaned audibly. "Ugh, Serena," he winced, covering his eyes with his arm. The sun was blinding his view, and it was only briefly blocked by the soaring arm of the frazzled blonde.

"Get out of my room!" she shouted, still mortified of his presence.

He chuckled.

"Actually…this is _my_ room," he cocked an eyebrow at her, sporting a smirk as he sat up and leaned against the headboard of the bed.

She looked doubtfully at his face, but when his expression refused to change and just resulted in pursed lips, she turned wide-eyed and looked around the room.

_He was right._

Serena's eyes shut tightly, as a hand drew up and ran through her blonde locks. "Fine," she whispered harshly through grinding teeth.

Carter raised both his eyebrows, amused. She sighed loudly and was about to speak, when—

**_RING!_**

****The abandoned cell phone lay in the space between the two of them, and the already standing blonde snatched it just in time. Quite frankly, it wasn't too difficult. Carter Baizen was a lazy SOB in the wee hours of the morning.

"Nate!" she nearly screamed, horrified at what might be assumed by her blonde counterpart on the receiving end of the line.

"Serena?" Nate asked, confused. "Have I…interrupted…something?"

Serena laughed a bit nervously, turning away from Carter to avoid his now irritating amused expression, as he eyed her unconvincing dialogue with the one and only Nathaniel Archibald. "Of course not, Nate," she said, uneasily, "Why would you think that?"

Hesitation.

She gulped.

"Oh, I don't know…maybe because you sound like you're trying to hide something?"

Serena shook her head, and snapped out of her anxious reverie. "I think you're imagining things, Nate," she said, supporting a new confident air. "Now, what was it you called for or should I just get the maid to converse with you?"

She was almost giggly now, but Carter snorted behind her and it was painful to keep her feet braced on the floor. If she turned to him, _like she desperately wanted to_, she would smile at him and he would smile at her, but not before she glared or looked incredibly insulted at him…after which she would drop the phone and he would come over and look at her like _that_. That way that only he seemed able to do. Then her mind would be gone and his lips would be on hers again and---

_NO._

Serena cleared her throat; quite sure she had missed whatever Nate had just said. Her face felt warm, and it was almost as though she could sense Carter's presence coming closer, that ever present smirk on his face.

"I'm sorry Nate, could you repeat that?" she dragged a hand through her hair for the second time since she had woken up dangerously close to Carter Baizen's embrace.

The blonde boy laughed. "Why don't we just do…lunch, or something?"

"Lunch," she said slowly.

"Yeah," he answered, just as slowly, "You know…that meal we have about noon time? Usually it's a daily ritual."

She laughed nervously. "Right, of course!" she looked to Carter momentarily who was, as predicted, smirking at her. She turned away again. "I was just…making sure I could fit it into my sche—"

And there they were again. Carter's hands snaked around her waist, her body pressed flush against his.

"—edule," she breathed.

Nate raised a brow. "Serena?"

Her eyes closed slowly, as she forced a normal heartbeat and a return to normality and a sense of the real world. "Yes, Nate. Lunch would be fine."

He was skeptical. Anyone would be, but he complied. "Should I…uh, come pick you up?"

"Nope," she answered almost immediately. "Let me come to you."

He was puzzled, and completely speechless. Every word she said seemed so…_forced_.

"Uh…"

"I'll text you the address later."

**CLICK.**

Nate shut his phone soon after, looking at it strangely. That had been just about the most awkward conversation he had ever shared with the blonde beauty. And he was quite sure _he_ was going to be the one to pick their destination…he shook his head in confusion.

Sighing, he leaned back against the wicker chair, sunning in the cool breeze of the late summer morning. _Something's up._

………………………………………………….

Her green flowing summer dress and pretty pink hat were sure doing a number on him. He thought she would've known better than to flaunt her perfect figure in front of him while in public. Then again, she had been doing it all summer…who was _he_ to stop her?

The night had been fantastic, and when he woke up to her sleeping smiling face, he knew the day would be a good one. He wouldn't be one to push _the game_ again though. If it happened, it happened…if not, they would come up with something else tantalizing and addictive. After all, their creations were always the best.

The polo game was anything but interesting. They had come because just about everybody they knew was going to be there, and they wanted to make the impression—rather, _he_ wanted to make the impression, that Chuck Bass does _not_ cheat, especially not on someone as fantastically made as Blair Waldorf. It took some effort to even glance down at the small lunch provided and eat it. He was too enraptured by the way his beautiful girlfriend ate _her_ own food, not picking at it and eating the most minimal amount like she had been known to do in high school.

Then, her head turned, looking beyond past him. He could almost feel the heat returning to his face, and he didn't know what the hell it was for. He wasn't angry, concerned (at least he didn't think he needed to be), certainly not embarrassed, and although he was more than a little turned on my his girlfriend's very existence…that hadn't caused heat two seconds earlier, or all morning for that matter. He followed her gaze nonetheless and found the answer to his subdued suspicions.

Blonde. Thin. Model…most likely.

"She looks like your type, yes?"

He turned his face slowly towards her, and much to her surprise, sported a dirty, smug expression.

"What?" she asked, scrutinizing every aspect of his face.

"You're my type, Waldorf." He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it.

It took her a moment, but pushed past the sentiment and rolled her eyes. "Yes, well…I mean, for our little game," she encouraged, inclining her head in the direction of the tall blonde.

He sighed, turning to face the incredibly dislikable woman. _She was nothing in comparison to Blair. _But he nodded along for the sake of the brunette's efforts. "She's decent enough," he said, turning back to her.

"Decent?" she asked, aghast.

He shrugged. "Decent," he repeated.

She looked to him skeptically, and then her gaze softened. "You don't have to do this for my sake, you know."

His expression remained unchanged.

"I'm better now, _really_," she said, nodding the hopes of convincing her supposed indifferent boyfriend.

Still, nothing.

She sighed, rolling her eyes and directing her attention back to the polo game, though more irritated at Chuck's blank expression than really caring what the players were doing. "Or we can keep looking," she muttered.

He pulled her closer and leaned forward, whispering sultrily in her ear. "After having you writhing beneath me on more than one occasion last night, the last thing I'm thinking about is seducing someone else."

She shivered under his touch. His words were liquid fire, and she feared if she turned towards him she would turn into a puddle of pure, gooey bliss. She gasped though, and that was proof enough. He smirked at her reaction and retreated to his former position. She turned to him just then and eyed him with a seductive, dark stare, hardly aware that she was doing so. His gaze lowered to her lips and back to her heated eyes.

Breaths became shallow.

"I think you should go shopping with Serena today," he said, suddenly snapping out of the sexual tension she had sucked him into.

She shook her head in an attempt to rid herself from it as well, reluctantly. "Huh?" she asked, confused. Quite honestly, all she wanted at the moment was to go home and pound into him on their bare bedroom wall.

"After the polo game, of course," he shrugged, in way of explanation.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Uh…sure," she responded uncertainly, blinking and turning back to the game, more confused now than ever.

Chuck just smirked to himself, his eyes twinkling as the plan grew in his mind. _She won't know what hit her._

………………………………………………….

"So, listen," the blonde began, eager to mend her ways. She had been shopping with Blair for over an hour now, and the brunette's silence did not go unnoticed by her.

Blair held up a hand to silence her. "It's okay, S. I overreacted. I mean, I should've known better to trust anyone else but my best friend, who always has my best interest in mind," she added sarcastically.

Serena sighed. "I do, B."

Blair sighed as well, low and frustrated, followed by a rolling of her eyes. "I'm sure," she muttered.

"I do!" she insisted, stopping her best friend to look at her and take note of the seriousness of her tone.

The brunette only sighed again. She had been hurt so much by what her friend had said, and she knew she didn't mean to hurt her. But she had. It was the first time she'd felt so upset and insecure all summer. Blair was not one to be so…_under_-confident? But Chuck meant _everything_ to her, and she knew if he cheated that it would never be the same. That she would have to force his disappearance from her life. And she didn't think she could handle that. Suddenly though, it all came together. The shopping, Chuck's insistence and Serena's pleading.

"Chuck came to see you," she said blankly.

The blonde gave a small little gasp and then after a moment nodded.

Blair nodded as well, quite knowingly. She turned to start walking again and Serena followed her.

"That doesn't mean it's not genuine."

She didn't know how much she could sigh in one conversation without it feeling too repetitive, but she let another one slip unconsciously.

"I know how much Chuck cares about you—"

"He loves me," Blair interjected.

"I know."

"And I love him."

"I know."

"Then why--?"

A helpless sigh. "I don't know, B…it was all I could do to—"

"—avoid the Carter topic?"

She nodded.

Blair's expression eased, grateful that her friend hadn't actually believed in Chuck's future infidelity. "I'm not Chuck, S."

Pause.

"I don't hate Carter's guts," she smiled, restraining a soft laugh, "Regardless of what he's done."

Serena's lips curved up at the corners.

"But…" she turned her head to the side knowingly, "if you want that stamp of approval, seeing as Chuck's your brother and all—"

"Yeah…I know," she sighed, again. Seemed the two could not avoid the release of frustrated air. "That's why I was—" she stopped.

Blair looked at her questioningly. She knew that look. "Why you've been avoiding him?" she was flat out smiling now. "Carter, I mean," the grin spread from ear to ear.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yeah," she paused, "Why I've been trying to at least."

"Word of advice, S…"

The blonde turned to her, almost cringing at what was to come.

"Don't avoid it. I can help you win over Chuck and Nate if need be," she beamed proudly.

"How would you—"

Blair's eyes sparkled. "Oh, I have my ways."

Serena scrunched up her nose. The girls giggled and the tension evaporated around them. The blonde remembered the point of their trip though, a few blocks away.

"About Chuck…"

The brunette shook her head in way of dismissal. "Don't worry about it, S. What's important to me is that you not only believe in Chuck and I, but…" she paused, a smile forming, "also the fact that I can hold this Carter issue over your head until…" another dramatic pause, "the end of time." Her voice lowered and she exploded in laughter, they both did. It was good to be at ease with each other again.

Serena just hoped she could determine all her exact feeling for that despicable Mr. Baizen. All the ones besides the heated feeling in between her legs, at least. She was 100% sure about that unavoidable fire.

_Damn him._

……………………………………………………………

The setting sun and shade of the trees didn't faze him. He could spot her in the fierceness of a wild snowstorm. Her golden blonde hair twisted around her in the small breeze brushing past from the ocean. Her thin figure visible to him in the faded light of the sun. She walked so beautifully, lazily resting her form on the nearest park bench. This was her atmosphere. Where he loved to see her best. She in her fashionable clothes in the midst of nature.

New York thrived on its public parks.

That's what he told himself anyways.

"Serena!" he called to her, almost smirking to himself when he heard her audibly groan.

"Carter," she whined.

"Ooo, not the reaction I was hoping for," he walked smugly towards her.

"Did I, or did I _not_ tell you to leave me alone?" her blonde hair danced, when she turned to face him. He looked _good_. _Better_ than good. Downright _hot_ and desirable, and she was honestly having a hard time trying to be upset with him, especially since she had essentially gotten Blair's blessing at the prospect of giving in.

"Oh you did," he said, pulling her close. She gulped, but found herself unable to look away. "I just thought you might want to reconsider."

She scoffed a little at him. "And why would I do that? You can't untie my shirt _or_ dress, _and_ there are no photographers in the vicinity." She meant to sound irritating and offensive, but all she came across as was playful in flirty.

He smiled and wide and leaned in to kiss her. She pulled away, but only just after his lips touched hers. She moved to turn away and leave, but he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her close. His expression now somber.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since Santorini," he whispered, desperately close.

She blinked, preparing herself for what would come next.

"It's not just your body, Serena, or how well we fit together. It's everything that you are. From your adorable little laugh to well, just about everything. Serena, I…"

And her eyes widened, because she didn't think he'd say it. Not when they hadn't really been together, relationship-wise at least.

"I need you to give me a chance."

"_Need_ me?" she asked, aghast at everything he was saying. Regardless of what she thought he almost said.

He nodded.

She gulped.

"If you can honestly tell me that there's more than your friends' possible disapproval keeping you away from me, I'll think about leaving. But…"

"There's not," she said, almost on instinct.

His expression widened, grew hopeful.

"I just…" she sighed, "I don't want us to be some forbidden love affair."

His face remained unmoved, but he tucked the word 'love' away in his memory. He would remind her of it later, if she ever begged to differ in his insistence of her word choice when they first began. He was certain now this was their beginning…or their continuation really.

"We won't," he leaned in closer to her, if that were possible, "We'll just be a little…secretive for awhile," he smirked.

She looked at him with a soft incredulous air, and rolled her eyes.

"But…just tell me. Do you have…_feelings_ for me? Real ones?"

And it snapped to her just then, like something she had pushed down because of what everybody think. Somewhere in the midst of looking for her father and coming back homes she had come to the realization that Carter had been a possibility for years now.

She nodded, sporting a small angelic smile that slowly reached to her eyes. They twinkled. "For some time now."

He beamed at that and leaned in to kiss her.

This time, she didn't pull away.

……………………………………………………

"Chuck!" Blair called into the empty apartment. It seemed incredibly dark when she walked in, opposite to her spring green colored dress. She took off her bright pink hat and set it on the counter. "Chuck?" she called again.

She had spent the whole day out with Serena shopping, and it had been great to re-establish their friendship, to re-establish _them_. She knew Serena would probably not shun Carter anymore, and the brunette was positive she could convince Chuck to settle his disagreements towards Baizen, and Chuck in turn would spread the sentiments to Nate.

The day was long, but she still wasn't tired. She wanted Chuck. She couldn't imagine why he wasn't home yet, or what exactly he was doing that caused his insistence on her day out with Serena. The thought occurred her to that he might be cheating, but it was only a fleeting thought and she cursed herself for even dwelling upon it for more than a second.

Having heard nothing but the silence reverberating on every wall in the room, she sighed and moved to the kitchen.

She gasped.

"Chuck!" both an exclamation and a whisper.

There he stood. Black tuxedo and tie. Candlelit dinner. Single purple rose. And the most gorgeous smirk implanted on his dashing, irresistible face.

She couldn't move. She just stared at him and at the perfect table setting he had presented to her. Then, back to him again, and her jaw nearly dropped at the sultry, dark look in his eyes. The same look that she had seen earlier that afternoon at the polo game, before the sudden abrupt subject change. She was in awe of him. _What an incredible boyfriend she had._

She was going to marry him. She was nowhere near ready of course, and the last time she contemplated such a thought her boyfriend had slept with her best friend…but, Chuck was different, and she knew no one else could or would ever fit her as well as he did.

She smiled softly at him.

"Sit," he suggested, gesturing with his hand towards the chair.

Her eyes twinkled at him, and she took a seat. He was looming over her and she felt more desirable by the second. His fingers brushed against her back, as he rested them on the back of her chair.

Tingles.

Everything was perfect, and before she could even contemplate eating or staring at the beautiful setting for another second, she reached up behind her and grabbed onto the edge of his jacket, pulling his refined features closer to her for a passionate onslaught of lips and tongue.

"Mmm," she moaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing him closer. He groaned at the feel of her fingers threading through his hair. "I love you," she whispered, pulling away a brief moment later.

A smile spread across his face. He leaned in again, and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"You love me too, right?" she asked, but it was not for insecurity or reassurance. Now it was almost playful.

He chuckled low in his throat, losing himself in her hair and wrapping a firm, gentle arm around her waist. "How could I not?"

……………………………………………………

Pitch black and sounds blazing from ten blocks away, Nate Archibald sat and awaited the appearance of a spunky young redhead who had stolen his heart from him over the last few weeks.

"Bree!" he whispered in excitement, once he saw her and her yellow dress and heels approaching him.

"Shh," she motioned playfully with a finger across her lips. "We don't want to wake the owls." Her eyes sparkled. And they burst out into laughter when an owl's hoot was heard just across the park.

"Now that…that is just good fortune," he said, and she continued her walk to him, taking her seat beside him on the bench.

They settled into each other, and he placed an arm around her shoulders as she rested her head in his neck. "I wish we could…stop doing this."

"Hmm?" Confusion.

"I mean," she started again, "It's not exactly awesome that we have to sneak around."

"Well…affairs are something I happen to be quite experienced in."

She turned to him and quirked an eyebrow. "Really?" she asked, playfully.

He nodded. "Yeah," he confirmed suavely.

She settled back into him. "Scandalous."

He laughed.

She shook her head. "It's a good thing you're cute, Archibald. Otherwise I'd have slapped you across the face by now."

He chuckled then, keeping his impending thoughts from erupting. She pulled his other arm around her and turned her head towards the dark night sky. "Look!" she said, and he turned his face upwards to where her gaze lay.

Shooting star.

…………

**Well, well upper east siders, seems you've gotten quite comfortable in your summer environment. Some of it's sweet, some of it's sour, and almost all of it is spicy. With the fall lying just weeks away, who knows what scandal will arise? The best is yet to come.**

** -XOXO Gossip Girl **

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A/N: All right! That is the end, unless you all so desire a continuation, which I'd be more than happy to oblige. *has like a million ideas brewing* Though, I must remind you that I have many other fics to attend to, and I'd have to readjust the outline for this fic…so it'd be awhile till the next update. With that in mind, please review and vote on the poll if you'd like more. ;p

*And yes, I found more spoilers to help in the realistic state of this early S3 fic. ;p


	4. Livin' the AntiDream

A/N: Hey, I know it's been like centuries since I updated this fic, and in part it's because I wasn't sure if I was continuing it…but so many readers wanted me to, and I still had a ton of ideas to go off of, so I'm deciding to go for it! Woot! Anyways, this fic will probably continue on for a little while longer, so make sure to keep up the reviews, and I'll try to update this as soon as I can! =D

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**Ch.4—Livin' the Anti-Dream**

"So…Serena, how's life?"

She quirked an eyebrow at the blonde before her. "Uh, life's been great, Nate," she shook her head at him. "How about yours? Has your family discovered the secret girlfriend yet?"

He sighed.

"Oh, is that a sore subject?" she teased.

He cleared his throat. "I don't know Serena, have you told Chuck about Carter yet?"

She scoffed. "Don't even talk to me about Chuck."

Nate's eyes narrowed. "Because?"

She sighed dramatically, avoiding his gaze. "I may have perhaps told Blair he'd probably cheat on her if they kept playing their games, and then she fell into some sort of depression."

He gaped.

She tried extremely hard now to not look at him. "So, he basically came and chewed my head off for it."

He scoffed. "Well, yeah. I mean, wouldn't you have done the same?"

She covered her face with her hand. "I know, I know, it was very stupid on my part. I was just so very overwhelmed by everything with Carter, and everything that happened with my father this summer." She sighed. "Or what didn't happen," she rolled her eyes at her own words.

He looked at her contemplatively.

"But let's not talk about me, let's talk about you!" She spread her hands across the table in a playful manner, smiling brightly.

He chuckled, shaking his head at each other. "Well, I don't know what there's really to tell," he laughed again. "I mean, my family is pretty much a rival to her family, but we have fantastic chemistry and she's absolutely gorgeous. I can't say just yet, but I think she may be the best girlfriend I've ever had," he smiled in that _particularly_ cheesy manner.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Well that's good, Nate. I'm happy for you."

He nodded.

She leaned forward then. "You're over Vanessa already though?"

He blinked at her. "Uh…well, we went on that back-packing trip over the summer, hooked up once, and everything was pretty great, but…I think we're past our relationship phase."

She was unconvinced.

"Okay, look," he leaned forward to address her. "The way I broke up with her to be with Blair was…pretty awful."

Her eyes furrowed in concern.

"I couldn't really recover from that. But after being with Blair and then not being with Blair, all I could really get away with…was being friends."

She frowned softly at him. "Nate—"

"No, it's done. It's over," he pushed past her attempts. "I'm over her, really. I seem to be getting over girls pretty quickly these days, so…I'm sure the deeper I get into this relationship, the farther I will be from even thinking about Vanessa, therefore how I screwed up." He nodded, patting himself on the back in his mind for his victory.

Serena sighed at him. "Aren't you guys going to try to be friends though?"

He ran his hand over his face. "Oh…right."

She giggled softly and placed her hand on his face mask. "Oh Nate, I'm sure everything will work out. Come on, let's take a walk."

The two seemed more confused and unsure of their own lives and partners than they had ever been. They were best friends even, and they couldn't really admit to their confusion. It was a troubling thought and both wondered if it would ever really be solved. _Who was Bree to Nate? A stand-in for what he had lost or what he had never really had? And Carter? Did she really care for him? If she did, was it so possible that she couldn't decide for him because of Chuck?_

…………………………………………………………

"Hey Jen, you haven't seen Serena around have you?"

The lounging blonde lifted her sunglasses from her eyes to her blonde locks. "No, not particularly. What did you need to see her for?"

He shook his head, looking away. "Nothing, I just…I wanted to see how she was doing."

Jenny looked to him curiously.

"Heh," he smirked and took a seat next to her. "It's just that I haven't seen her since she got back. I don't know how the whole 'finding her father' thing went, and on top of that she's been spotted with Carter Baizen??" he said the name like it was highly offensive, which to most of them it was.

She smiled sadly at him. "I'm sure she'll come around, Dan. Maybe you call her and make an appointment," she joked.

He leaned back in the chair, thinking a bit seriously about what she had suggested. "Well, how about you Jen? You ready for school?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't remind me."

"Why's that?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, I mean, I'm officially popular and it'll be cool not to be the brunt of all the girls' jokes…" her voice went up to a shrill note. Dan had to restrain himself from putting his hands over his ears.

"But?" he prodded.

"I don't know," she placed the sunglasses back over her eyes. "We'll just see how it goes."

He nodded.

"And you? Excited for NYU?"

"Oh yeah," his eyes bulged in mock excitement.

She quirked her eyebrow at him.

"Well, I mean, it'll be good. Really. I would've liked Yale a ton better, but maybe next year it'll be a possibility."

"Then…?"

He sighed. "Blair's going there."

"You've never really let her presence bother you before, I mean…within reason."

He shook his head. "Yeah, I know."

"And NYU isn't even her crowd. It's more…_Brooklyn's_ crowd, don't ya think?"

He laughed, nodding. "Yeah."

"So, she might not even be that popular."

He contemplated the thought.

"Well anyways, I think Serena should be back in a couple hours. She's out with Nate."

"Nate?"

"Yeah, you know, they're friends. They talk."

He smiled. "Of course. How could I not know, Jen? Next time I'll study my _Friendship_ textbook better."

"That's what I like to hear."

………………………………………………………………………

The candle was blown out, the dishes were placed a safe distance off the table and shoes were discarded. The light of day was streaming through the window, and the dark atmosphere was fading away. The individuals, however, who had enjoyed the table's company the night before…had not quite made it to the bedroom for their scandalous activities.

She groaned. "Chuck…"

He grunted, feeling around for her hand. She grasped onto it, pulling herself closer to his side of the table, then settling against his comforting chest. She sighed.

"Did you sleep well?" he stroked her hair softly.

She scoffed. "_Please_. Ask me a question you _don't_ know the answer to." She sat up, strained, holding her back up painfully as she sat up. "I think I'm broken."

He chuckled at her, though it was anything but comfortable as he joined her at her sitting stance. He kissed her shoulder, nibbling a bit, and tickling her neck with his warm breath. She giggled and settled against him.

"Oh Chuck," she moaned, discouraged over her discomfort.

He smirked. "That good, huh?"

She punched his arm.

"Ooo, painful," he mocked.

She rolled her eyes and turned to him. "Well, it was pretty amazing, I'll give ya that."

A satisfied smirk spread wider across his face.

"But please, let's never do this again."

He frowned.

"My back is going to be permanently paralyzed if we do!"

He rolled his eyes. "We'll just be sure to not fall asleep on the table next time."

"I _tried_ to get you up, but you wouldn't budge!"

"I had already fallen asleep! And besides, you exhausted me."

"Not my problem."

He scoffed. "And how is it not?"

"It's not my problem that you don't work out and can't handle my sexual energy."

His eyes grew dark when she turned and looked at him seductively.

Gulp.

Her eyes lowered to his lips. "We should probably put some clothes on."

"Or we could keep them off."

Her penetrating gaze immediately darted to his eyes again, and her breathing became faint on her lips. She lunged at him then, and he had to keep from completely falling off the table. Amidst the hot make-out, he somehow got himself off the table and standing on the floor, while walking backwards to the bedroom.

He was very talented.

Once they had settled onto the bed, he pulled away briefly.

"What?" she asked, breathlessly.

He returned with the same breathless demeanor. "I love you."

She pulled him to her, nuzzling his nose. He found the action too adorable to ignore. Cutting the sweet moment off, he forced his lips upon her and it sent tingles through her entire being what he lowered his kisses along her whole body.

"We should just do this…forever."

He chuckled.

"I am completely for this idea."

She smirked at that.

"I love you Chuck bass," she whispered as he brought her to him and kissed her. "But—"

His penetrating eyes challenged her.

"No, I can't consent. This bed is _way_ more comfortable."

He laughed, heat consuming him as she twisted her arms around his neck and through his silk locks.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Her sunning partner had changed, but her way of sitting remained the same. The rich life was good. Lying out in the sun, adjusting her sunglasses to every shade of light…and being around Eric, practically her best friend, way more often usual. It had been adjustment moving in the Basses and the Van der Woodsens, basically everyone she knew was either now related to her or great friends with someone who was. It was kind of…freaky.

"So everything going well with Dan?"

Jenny snapped out of her thoughts to focus on the blonde genius beside her. She nodded.

"And with Serena?" he quirked.

She turned to him kind of caught off guard. "Uh…yeah, I guess. Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I was just going down the list of people we're now related to."

She smirked. "Yeah, we're a pretty big family now, aren't we?"

He nodded. "Personally, I loved it when Chuck became my step-brother. He was…pretty cool. Took me right under his wing."

"Wow." She was surprised. Sure Chuck was pretty sweet with Blair, but with anyone else?

"What?" he asked.

"Well…I just, I wasn't expecting something like that," she laughed a bit confusedly. "I mean, he's Chuck Bass after all."

He smirked. "Yes, he does pride himself in that. But, Blair isn't the only he's a good guy with. He grew up a lot this year, Jenny. I think you should give him a chance."

She thought about it. "He did apologize for what he did to me at the _Kiss on the Lips_ party. I didn't think he was even capable of saying 'sorry'," she laughed softly.

"Yeah, he wasn't."

She sighed.

"Blair really brought out the best in him, ya know. And he's madly in love with her. I honestly don't know how long he would've lasted if they hadn't eventually come back together."

"Yeah…" her eyes faded into the distance, and there was a soft silence between them.

"Hey, did you hear about that formal for that charity event?"

Her eyebrows rose at him. "And that would be?"

"I'm not particularly sure off the top of my head, but it's supposed to be a really big deal. It's in a week or so I think. Maybe sooner. You should ask Chuck to go as your escort."

Her eyes widened. "Why can't _you_ just be my escort?"

He chuckled. "And I would be happy to, but I think I'm gonna go with Jonathan. Besides, if you've actually forgiven him, or are planning to, nothing would show him better than asking him and begin serious—genuine—about it. Next to Blair, family is the most important thing to him."

She looked at him speechless, and having absolutely no clue as to what she would say next.

"Well, I hate to stop you from talking, but I'm going to go back inside and get some more to drink. If I don't come back in ten minutes, I probably got lost."

She laughed.

"That should be your hint to come find me."

She nodded sarcastically. "Okay thanks, Eric. I didn't pick up on that hint."

He saluted her and walked the distance into the house.

Jenny's thoughts consumed her. _Asking Chuck to go to some formal?_ Her and Chuck weren't exactly on _excellent_ terms. He had apologized, but there was still some sort of rift between them in the way of him maybe not really being allowed to be in her same vicinity. She wasn't sure if she had forgiven him. It was a lot to forgive him for, and even though he had apologized and she felt almost bad for pursuing him about it beforehand, she just…had to come to grips with everything. And before, before people assumed the worst, even if she didn't know exactly what that was. Maybe she would ask Dan about it…or Serena.

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A/N: So yeah, this is incredibly short, and I apologize a ton for that. I think this is more of a filler chapter and so that might be one reason for it…or maybe because I wasn't planning on more than 3 chapters and so the first few were pretty packed, and this one wasn't. XD Regardless, I will try in the future to make them much lengthier. ;p I hope you loved it!!

REVIEW! =D


	5. Teasing the Masses

A/N: Okay…I may have an addiction to writing. XD Lucky you! lol Seriously, I have too much time on my hands today, haha. So, I am writing…and I really hope you guys review. I have been getting fewer and fewer reviews, and I've determined it's either because (1) my writing now sucks, or (2) no one is reading, b/c they're just too satisfied with the new season. I mean, even this fic that is based off of early S3 spoilers had 10+ readers in the first couple chapters, and now? Like less than 5 sometimes. *whimpers* But anyways, I did not write this to complain, so I will shut up my big fat mouth and write the chapter. Let's hope this chapter is far longer than the previous one. ;p

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**Ch.5—Teasing the Masses**

"On the table?" the blonde boy questioned in shock, though it wasn't like he should've been surprised. This was _Chuck_. He _lived_ for this kind of scandal, and as he had recently discovered…so did Blair.

The brown-haired boy smirked, nodding. Nate shook his head. "But don't worry, man. After this morning's rude awakening, I don't think we will be embarking on that hard-set adventure any time soon."

Nate chuckled. "Don't tell me she didn't like it!" he mocked the ever so surprising look.

Chuck scoffed. "Please, she brought it up. It was _her_ idea."

"Uh-huh," he responded doubtfully. "And whose idea was it to _stay_ on the table after said activities?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Hey, it was a mutual decision."

The blonde boy had to keep from laughing.

"Besides, at least I'm not pretending to love the enemy, while I'm still in love with the Brooklyn girl."

Nate turned to him defensively. "Hey, I am totally over Vanessa. And besides, don't you think sleeping with the enemy is hott?"

Chuck was silent for a moment. "Granted that may be true, but…"

"But what?"

"I'll think of something," he insisted.

"Sure…" he rolled his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be with Blair?"

"Contrary to the city's poll, we do not exist next to each other 24/7."

He smirked. "So there's a poll?"

Chuck rolled his eyes.

"Can _anyone_ vote?"

He sighed.

"If that's true, I know some people who would love to add to the odds that are Chuck & Blair," he lowered his voice as he spoke. Chuck stopped, and turned to his best friend.

"The odds?" his eyebrows rose.

"Uh, that's not what I meant, man," he spoke quickly, eager to smooth things over. "You and Blair are _perfect_ for each other."

Chuck examined him, very unconvinced of his particular thoughts on the two brunettes.

"Look, I don't want to jump into past relationships. I want us to be in a good place, because we are, right?" His eyebrows furrowed, concerned.

Chuck's uncertain emotions faded, and a smile found its way to his handsome features. "Yeah, of course man."

The two continued walking. New York was beautiful at this time of the year, late summer. The cooler temperatures had yet to settle in, but the warm breeze was not overwhelming and Chuck could wear his suits without the threat of melting his face. Not that he had ever found a reason not to before.

It was over half an hour later, thankfully there had not been silence the whole time, or even much longer than after Chuck's dangerously almost upset mood. Something was pressing on Nate's mind, concerning him so that he could no longer hide it.

"Chuck," he began.

The boy beside him turned a quick gaze in his direction. "Yeah?" he offered up when the blonde boy didn't continue. _Apparently he needs verbal cues_. Internal roll of the eyes and small chuckle.

He sighed, wrapping his hand around his neck a bit awkwardly. Chuck grew somewhat concerned. "Is it bad?"

Nate laughed. "No, actually it's not. It's about you."

Chuck stopped. "About me?" his eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah," he came back around to the spot in which his friend had set himself solid. "Didn't you want to tell me something? About your family? Or your money—shares, that type of thing?"

He nodded, instantly understanding, and started to walk again. The young Archibald moved in step with him. "Well…I've decided I'm not going to get into the hotel business."

"Oh," Nate said, seeming incredibly surprised.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm sure it's a great investment and I'd have all the tools at my disposal to accomplish the same feat in which my father took pride in—"

"But?"

He sighed. "I don't want to have anything to do with what my father did, and certainly not what Jack was involved in." He spat his uncle's name, and Nate—even in his oblivious state—would've had to be less than human not to catch it.

"I understand, completely, but you know, you could make something of the hotel business. You could become even more successful than either of them were," he offered encouragingly.

Chuck sighed again. "Yes, I know it's certainly possible, but…"

"It's not something you want," he concluded.

"Exactly."

They were approaching Chuck's limo, and as much as he loved talking to his best friend, Chuck had a feeling that the conversation had potential to get really ugly really soon. The only person he really felt he could trust with a decision like this was Blair. It was true that both Nate and Serena were definite possibilities for making such a huge decision, but…he wasn't even 100% sure what he was going to do now that he had nixed the hotel business. He wasn't going to college, he didn't need that _accessory_. So, what was he going to do?

"I'm uh…I'm gonna go see Blair…" Chuck said, on way of departure. And Nate saw how the statement had started as fact, but spread into a wide grin. There was nothing the Bass boy held in higher esteem. Even when Nate had had Blair as _his_ girlfriend, and really appreciated her—really _loved_ her—he never held this sort of priority to her.

He smiled. "Alright, I've got to go catch up with Bree anyways."

Chuck winked at him. "Good luck with that," he climbed into the limo beside him. Nate just shook his head

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The café was just as it was when she had last worked there, but it was a breath of fresh air to have that burden of working there lifted from her shoulders. It was so nice and refreshing to just be Vanessa, and hanging out with Dan had helped her get past being with Nate, though in all honestly nothing could really cure her from that heartbreak. She had fallen in love with him. He had been the first guy to sweep her off her feet, so to speak, and she had never even told him. She did tell him indirectly at the Snowflake Ball, but…

Sigh.

"Vanessa, hey!"

"Hey Dan, what's it like on the upper east side?" she rose an eyebrow.

He chuckled briefly. "Oh, it's awesome?" he questioned sarcastically.

She giggled, then sighed. It only took Dan about half a second for him to realize the reason to her sorrowful dilemma.

"Nate." It was a statement, not a question. He knew that's who she was thinking about. He seemed to be the only thing, the only person, the only anything that she thought about these days. Sometimes it was almost as if he didn't exist, as if nothing really existed except Nate Archibald.

Vanessa smiled weakly.

"Hey V, if you want to be more than friends, just tell him," he insisted, eyes full of concern.

She scoffed. "He's got a girlfriend, Dan. Or are you too caught up with the upper class that you didn't notice?" Her eyes closed slowly in frustration as the words slipped out of her mouth.

"Uh…Nate is the upper class, or is that—?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Right…"

She shook her head. "Forget it. The point is, even if he didn't have a girlfriend, which he always does, it wouldn't work out."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Because?"

"Because nothing happened over the summer—" he was about to speak, but she stopped him, raising her hand a little, "yes, we slept together a few times. No, it didn't mean anything. End of discussion."

Dan sighed. "Did it mean nothing to _you_?"

She avoided eye contact. He reached across the table and held her hand. She looked up sorrowfully at him, and he could see her eyes watering.

"Hey," he came around the table and held her, "It's going to be okay. Really." He could feel her head nodding into his shoulder. "In fact…" someone was walking past the café, and it triggered something in Dan. "I'll be right back." Vanessa was confused but she allowed the brief disengagement from her best friend. When he came back less than five minutes later, what or rather who he was with sparked a feeling most likely identical to the one Dan had suddenly felt. She stood up and walked over to the two of them before they even got within two feet of Dan and Vanessa's before acquired table.

"Vanessa," she extended her hand and he shook it. She smiled and giggled at his unsure and maybe even nervous behavior. "I believe we met earlier in the year? This spring?"

He nodded. "Oh yeah! You were the girl going off with that…blonde guy?"

She acknowledged the fact. "Yep. His name is Nate, and if you don't mind….I'd like to…" she fished around her head for the proper wording.

"She would like to use you to make him jealous," the Brooklyn boy said beside her.

"Dan!" she muttered, smacking him.

The boy laughed. "No, no, don't worry. I'd be more than happy to." He chuckled at the two. "I'm Scott, by the way." He smirked.

Vanessa's eyes sparkled, and her grin spread across her face once more.

"I thought you should know, since we're going to be fake dating."

She laughed a little, as did Dan.

"That—that was good," Dan shook his head.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Don't you have a rich life to be getting back to?"

He gaped at her. "Hey, I take offense to that."

"Take offense to it, then. Come on, Scott," she grabbed his arm and dragged him along to the previously used table. "Tell me about yourself."

Dan was still gaping, and she looked to him, giggling a bit, but eventually he went for the door, and Vanessa focused in on her fake boyfriend.

"Uh, V…."

"What is it now, Dan?" she questioned playfully. Scott smiled at her adorably teasing antics.

"I think your target has arrived," he said, almost pinned to the window.

"What?!" she whispered fearfully.

"Is he here?" Scott questioned, looking out the window.

"Well, not yet, but he's about half a block away…" Dan continued, implanting his face successfully to one side on the window.

Vanessa was filled with dread. She hadn't seen Nate in at least a few weeks. They had said they were going to try this 'friends' thing out, but she didn't really expect anything to keep going. He was Nate Archibald. He changed girlfriends more than he changed clothes. It was unlikely, at that rate, that he was going to even consider being her friend. He was the 'good' guy, sure, but he also seemed to be a complete heartbreaker…while following all the rules.

Gulp.

Scott must have sensed her discomfort and worry, because he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door. By the time she noticed what was going on Dan was pushed into an empty seat and Vanessa was out on the sidewalk with Scott. She looked to him in shock and almost anger once she finally figured out what he had done.

"Okay, I know I don't know you very well, but…what do you think you are doing?!" She was panicking, and she wasn't going to hide it.

He sighed and looked at her. "Vanessa, is it?" She confirmed it with a single nod. "You said you wanted to make this guy jealous. Well, you're not going to make him jealous by watching him walk by the café."

Her head reared back in shock.

"Come on," he pulled at her arm to drag her farther onto the sidewalk.

She gulped, but followed his lead. _I'm going to regret this. _She turned to look at Dan, who had settled in his new seating arrangement, receiving a hot cup of coffee. He sipped it innocently, waving at her when he caught her gaze.

"Just tell me one thing," he whispered into her ear.

"What?" she asked, anxiously.

"When did you get back from Europe?"

"What?" she asked, confusedly, turning to him now.

"Just answer the question."

She sighed, shaking her head for the answer. "Uh…one week, no, two weeks ago," she clarified.

"You're sure?"

"Positive." She smiled lamely, falling into the short existence that seemed to be her relationship with Nate.

"Nate!"

Vanessa was spun around in a blur, but sported a sudden cheery smile. Nate's eyebrows furrowed at Scott, but softened on Vanessa when she entered his line of vision.

"Vanessa, hey." He smiled at her.

"Hey Nate," she greeted, unsure really of what to do. She couldn't hug him, because they weren't really friends anymore. She couldn't wave, because they'd definitely seen each other, known each other more than strangers would. But it was so awkward just standing there. So, she fixed her eyes on the pretty little red-head beside him, and extended her hand.

"Vanessa Abrams, Nate's ex-girlfriend, or one of them at least" she smiled, wondering ever so suddenly if that was not the best introduction for his new fling, that at the time he would consider seriously.

The woman shook her head briefly, in a matter of shock it seemed. "Bree Buckley," she said, in a midst of confusion and amusement.

Vanessa turned to Nate and smiled, feeling the heat rushing to her face.

"I'm Scott," the boy beside her said, shaking the hands of both of them. "I'm Vanessa's boyfriend, the guy who tried to guess her name before you ran off with her this summer?"

Nate's eyes widened. "Ah, yes, I remember," he nodded along, trying to keep his cool. He turned to Vanessa to confirm the new information. "Yep," she said, "It's official as of…last week is it?" She turned to Scott, who smiled wildly.

"Two weeks actually, I believe."

"Oh," she giggled, "That's right. I can't believe I forgot. It was right after I came back from my back-packing trip in Europe," She did a little smack to her head to playfully shame herself. Nate sucked in his breath when the two kissed right before him, making playful noises as they parted, and Scott kissed their intertwined fingers. He was secretly thankful to her though…for not pointing out his blatant existence in her summer activities. Not that it would matter, he started dating Bree after they got back from summer. Neither of their _special someone's_ had to know it was immediately after.

"Awkward," Bree muttered under her breath.

When the two faced back to the upper east siders, they smiled ever so politely.

"Uh…" Nate tried.

"Well," Bree cleared her throat.

"Oh, we must be interrupting your busy schedule," Scott said, shaking his head in condemnation of himself. "I can't believe I didn't think of it. You upper east siders are always consumed with laziness." He nodded, sure of himself.

Nate gaped a little, and Bree's head snapped back in some sort of offense.

"Good to have met you," Vanessa shook Bree's hand again, nodding to Nate with an almost unintelligible farewell under her breath. Scott followed suit, smiling widely as he did so. He then guided Vanessa back inside the café, his hand on the small of her back.

Nate and Bree just stared at the two for awhile, smiling and laughing with Dan at one of the smaller tables. They then looked back to each other and moved to walk along farther down the sidewalk.

"Well, that was awkward," Bree muttered.

Nate pulled her closer into him. "Yes, let's not come back to Brooklyn for awhile."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't understand. I thought there was something important you had to do here."

He cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I must have misplaced the destination in my mind," he laughed offhandedly. She smiled at him, and took it for what it was. If he didn't want to clarify his reason for leaving someplace, then she wouldn't make him. They weren't that serious yet anyways. They had only started dating short of two weeks ago.

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He was so excited, he could hardly contain it. The smile spread wide across his face. The sparkle evident in his eyes. You would have thought he was a little boy who was just told he would get to ride the rocket ship into space, free of charge, free of anything.

Only Blair Waldorf could do this to Chuck Bass.

He was so excited he informed his limo driver to pick up Blair and meet him in Central Park. That's right; Chuck Bass was walking the distance. Lucky for him, the distance was only 5 ¼ blocks away. Besides, the sky was blue and the grass was green. The temperature was warm enough to be enjoyable, but cool enough not to cause a drop of sweat on his perfectly charming features.

And he was almost there. Almost to the love of his life and her perfectly carved figure, perfectly beautiful soul and perfect in every other manner there could be. She was _his_, after all.

"Carter Baizen."

He sighed harshly. He should have known this day was going to have at least one bad detail to it.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, annoyed, almost twitching.

The smart mouth on that all too rich bastard smiled a little too richly when he opened his mouth. "A pleasure to see you too, Bass."

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Quit acting like you're above it all. I asked you a _question_."

Carter cleared his throat, smoothing down the nonexistent wrinkles on his shirt and jacket. "It's a free country. I'm allowed to roam through New York City, just as you are."

He scoffed.

"What? Is it so unusual that I would be here?"

"Yes, it is. And so help me, if it has anything to do with my sister I'll—"

"You'll what? Threaten me with Santorini like she did?" He scoffed. "If you do, then I'll be dragging her along with me…since she was an accomplice in the whole occasion." He looked at him pointedly.

Chuck's eyes narrowed. His gaze lifted momentarily when he saw Blair in the distance. Then, he focused back on Carter.

"What is it, Bass?" he drawled. "Is 'the wife' calling?"

Chuck's eyes went dark and dangerous at that. He hadn't thought Blair would go pouring out her troubles about him as well in the few days of her melting rebellion after Yale. Then again, he should always be prepared for something un-Blair like in her moments of vulnerability. He certainly didn't expect her to strip herself of almost all clothing on that stage in Victrola about two years prior.

Carter cleared his throat. Chuck's eyes registered him again. They had been in a haze, had been seeing nothing while that young Bass mind had been deep in thought.

"I have to go," he pushed past Carter in a stern, rough manner.

Carter smirked at him as he left. "I'm sure you do…"

"Chuck," Blair began worriedly, her happy demeanor vanished once she saw her boyfriend, and who he had been talking to. She rubbed her hand softly against his covered chest. "What is it?"

He sighed, forcing the frustration to wash off of his face. "Nothing." He leaned in to kiss her, and she accepted the soft texture of his lips meshing with her own glossy ones. He gathered her hands in his own and brought them to his lips to kiss them. She smiled softly, but was still so visibly worried for the man before her. "Let's go home," he said. She nodded and slipped back inside the limo.

He did not ask her how she happened to be a few blocks closer than what was agreed. He knew she probably had some playful little quip to how that was arranged. He also knew that he would probably never hear of it, not this one at least. One quick look behind him informed his senses of Carter Baizen's particular arrangement. Serena had appeared from around the block. She walked up to him and kissed him, and they looked very much in love. Chuck scoffed, and slid into the limo after Blair. He needed something to distract himself.

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A/N: Okay, well I hope you loved it! =D I started out the chapter not being very motivated or inspired, and I thought this chapter wasn't going to be that long either, and it isn't really…not like they usually are. But hopefully with time it will get better. *nods* I am concerned though…with the lack of reviews and the shorter chapters, if you all actually want me to continue this. I could always delete these last couple and keep it as a 3-shot. Let me know! If the majority of you want me to keep going, then I will do so. Once I got into the 2nd and 3rd scenes after all, I was definitely more motivated. ;)


	6. Formal Frustrations

A/N: Well, I had another seizure today. *sigh* 'Tis very frustrating, but I'm hoping the GG episode tonight will help me feel better. =) And to encourage that movement…I am going to try and update as much as I can with my current fics. ;p Please R & R! =D

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**Ch.6—Formal Frustrations **

His traditional smirk fell into a full-out scowl as he saw his ever dearest sister turn the bend—Serena, that is. It was one of those rare mornings where he decided to eat with the Van-der-Bass-Humphreys for breakfast. (He swore their last name was getting longer by the second.) His run-in with Carter the day before was anything but pleasant, and he had it in his mind to make sure that bubbly blonde knew it.

She hardly caught his gaze during the whole meal, but when their eyes _did_ clash she looked elsewhere almost immediately. She knew he had a bone to pick with her, and that it probably had to do with Carter. No, that it _did_ have to do with Carter. Chuck simply couldn't be still holding the "Blair" issue over her head. The rest of the members at the table could feel the heated fury radiating off of Chuck though, and after some time an eerie silence filled the room, especially when he seemed to be ignorant of anyone talking to him. And with his darkened eyes pinned on Serena.

"Serena," he spoke, determined. "Might I speak with you in the other room?" he wiped the wet marks from his juice induced mouth on the napkin beside his plate, and stepped out of the room. Serena swallowed hard and laughed a bit nervously as she stood from her seat and followed him out of the room.

Everyone else held the deathly quiet environment a few moments longer until they heard the soft click of a door shutting down the hallway. Conversation resumed.

"What do you want, Chuck?" Serena folded her arms across her chest, trying to act annoyed, but really so very knowledgeable concerning why he wanted to see her. And about whom.

He scoffed. "I think you know very well what this is about, Serena Van der Woodsen."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh really?"

He took a step towards her. "Yes, really." The intense gaze was held between them before a painstakingly long 3 ½ seconds before her façade fell, and she sighed.

"Fine Chuck," she ran her long slender fingers through her perfectly tousled blonde strands. "Besides your undying hate for Carter, give me one good reason why it is so horrible that I go out with him."

"Well there are many things, but the most present one on my mind at the moment is this: yesterday I ran into him, just before you did, and he had not one good thing to say about me or Blair…or _you_, I might add."

She gaped briefly, before pushing past what should have been obvious. "Would you not do the same thing in his situation?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I would not use anything that had been done between the two of you as ammunition."

The slight shock overtook her, but she decided now was not the time to infer that her smug step-brother was going soft.

He sighed, straightening out his shirt.

"It's not a good idea, Serena. Trust me—I know, it's hard, but Blair's had her effect and—" his chiseled features slid into a silly smirk-smile before resuming his stony stare. "—all Carter cares about is himself. You'd be wise to break it off before you get in too deep." He opened his bedroom door then, gesturing for her to leave.

Serena rolled her eyes before exiting, turning then on a whirl towards him. "Just because you inflicted your strong opinions on me doesn't mean I'm going to change anything."

His eyebrows narrowed. "Good-bye, Serena."

The door closed. Not exactly a _**SLAM!**_, but certainly not a quiet click either. Serena sighed, and headed down the stairs, deciding not to answer the curious looks of the people still sitting around the kitchen table, nearly finished with breakfast.

"I'm leaving, I'll see you guys later," she waved offhandedly, still avoiding everyone's lingering gaze. The elevator dinged and she got inside. The individuals still present in the room sighed quietly, as if holding that uneasy breath from the moment Chuck and Serena departed up the stairs.

As if on cue, Chuck came down the stairs just then, seeming to have forgotten something.

"Lily," he said, addressing her—and only her—at the kitchen table. "I've decided I want you to continue running Bass Industries."

She gaped a bit, and then her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Charles, just a few months ago it was your only wish to run the company. Now, suddenly, you've reconsidered?"

He nodded, exhaling quietly. "I really don't want to be part of whatever legacy my father created. I want to," his eyes turned into the distance, his mind seemingly groping for the right words.

"…leave your own legacy? Become your own man?" Dan offered up. Chuck hated that Humphrey had interrupted his thoughts so freely, but he was pretty much right on target.

"Something like that," he finished, his eyes boring into the Brooklyn boy gone rich.

Lily cleared her throat, directing the boys' attention back to the matter at hand. It seemed that at one point or another, Eric and Jenny had vacated the table and scurried off to a separate room to reside in.

"Well, that's wonderful, Charles. Please let me know though, if you change your mind." She smiled fondly at her _now_ son, and he nodded on departure.

"Oh! Charles?" he paused again, as she stood from her seat. He looked expectantly at what she had to say. She smiled, laughing a bit at herself. "You will probably think this is funny, but, there is this sort of formal dance event going on for _St. Judes_ and _Constance_ in a few days, and Eric is otherwise occupied, so I was wondering—"

"_Lily!_" Dan spoke, aghast at what he knew she was suggesting.

"What? You probably won't take her either."

"Well, I know, but—"

Chuck cleared his throat.

"Ah yes, Charles," she turned her attention back to him. "Would you take Jenny to the event?"

Dan sighed, shaking his head and rubbing his forehead as if it ached.

"Uh," he near laughed at the suggestion, but pursed his lips and appeared to be thinking deeply for the following seconds. "I don't think…"

"Oh, come on now. Who else is she going to go with?"

Dan looked exasperated at his new stepmother. _She could not be serious, could she? Chuck Bass? Taking his younger sister, the girl he nearly date-raped a little over a year ago?_

Chuck just looked on at the transition. "Normally I'd be more than willing to escort any girl in need of assistance…"

Dan shuddered at the hidden meaning that quite possibly might still be present…regardless of Blair's influence.

"…but, uh…the last time I spoke with Jenny, it was not under the greatest of circumstances. I'm pretty sure, even if I was the only escort left, she would not want me anywhere near her for this…high school event."

Lily thought carefully about what he had said and then sighed in resignation. "Well, very well…but if it turns around by some miracle, would you at least drive there with her? For the experience?" She said it like it was the greatest, most educationally valuable suggestions, and he felt at the moment, he could not very well say no. So, he nodded to the offer.

"I'd be happy to."

She smiled at this, mouthing a quiet farewell as he turned to leave. Dan just stared down at his empty plate, and shook his head. _Sometimes it was just mind-boggling the things that were justified in this house—err, family. _

Not more than ten minutes later, Jenny wandered back into the kitchen followed by Eric. Dan turned to her as soon as he felt the presence in the room shift. He tried to erase the painstakingly horrific expression that must've been written all over his face, but…couldn't. Jenny's eyebrows furrowed at the queer appearance on her brother's face.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking between the two individuals still seated at the table.

Dan chuckled a bit nervously under his breath. _Wouldn't you like to know?_

"Oh, Jenny," Lily began, placing her glass of juice back on the table and wiping her mouth with the closest available napkin. "You like Charles, right?"

Jenny's eyes went wide as she turned to the positively bursting blonde woman before her. "Uh…"

"Because, I was thinking…what if he took you to that _Constance/St. Judes_ formal dance?" She looked expectantly at the surprised girl in front of her. Jenny cleared her throat.

"Well…" she laughed a bit nervously, wrapping a shuddering hand around her neck. Eric just looked agape at his mother, and what she was suggesting. _If only she knew what she was asking of Jenny…if only she knew how hard it could—would be…_

"Or…he could give you a ride at least, right?" The high-class mother brought the glass to her mouth again, and took a sip. Jenny swallowed hard.

"I don't know…" her gaze shifted a bit amidst the room.

Lily smiled softly, grabbing her plate and heading into the more infested kitchen area. "Well, you think about it dear, and let me know," she finished, taking the initiative of her finished meal to continue on with her tasks for the day, and climbed up the stairs.

Dan could feel Jenny burning a fiery hole into the back of his neck, and stood to put away his own dishes. "I had nothing to do with it." He moved out of the room, and she turned to face Eric who was looking sympathetically at her.

"It might not be bad…?" he offered. She huffed though and continued on to the additional room past the kitchen. He followed.

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"Mmm," the feisty brunette moaned into her equally brown-haired counterpart. She simply loved the feel of his hands all over her body. Ditching her shopping plans with Serena had definitely been worth it. It always seemed to be worth it…for the intense kissing sessions she got with Chuck.

"You are so hott," he mumbled into her mouth, and along the side of her face to her ear. It sent shivers up her spine.

"You're not so bad yourself," she giggled, pulling him nearer by the collar of his shirt. He grabbed hold of her ass at the movement, and she gasped at the sudden closeness. Sure she had pulled on him first, but this was…well, it was sufficiently closer.

He kissed her, harder, faster, and along every unclothed spot of her soft, warm skin. She wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging at his hair with her delicate fingers. "We should always do this," he whispered, breaking apart for only a moment.

She smiled wide. "And to think you were afraid of _this_."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know, what the hell was _I_ thinking?"

She smirked and forced her mouth more intensely on his. The tongue battle they were participating in was one of their hottest ones yet. For the life of her she could not place anything else, anyone else, any other possible agenda than what she had right in front of her.

"So…" he began, and she was hoping for dirty talk, but from the neutral tone of his voice, she sensed it was anything but.

"Hmm?" She moved her mouth along his neck, nipping and biting. He had to force himself to focus, to say what he wanted—rather _needed_—to say. It was definitely difficult.

"…I might be taking Jenny to some formal event at _Constance_." Instantly Blair stopped the ministrations of her lips and reared her head back, expression: fear. Chuck's eyebrows narrowed. "What?"

She shook her head, trying to push her quite trivial—_she thought_—fears out of her head. "Nothing, nothing," she avoided his gaze.

"Blair…"

She sighed dramatically. "It's nothing." She held his gaze, but it didn't seem to help. Skepticism was written all over his face. She moved to kiss him again, but he pushed her away, even if it was gently. "Ugh." She rolled her eyes and made the best attempt to get off his lap. He held her in place, and she glared ferociously cute in his direction. It was hard keeping the determined gaze on her features, and falling into absolute awe and adoration.

"Jenny? Jenny Humphrey?"

He nodded, his gaze piercing into her frustrated—bordering on insecure—expression. He searched it for some sort of explanation, some final piece to the puzzle. She sighed, and it seemed like relief but he was still so unsure.

"Well then it's fine," she beamed, ever so hesitantly.

Skepticism. Still written so very clearly across his face.

She rolled her eyes. "I admit, I was feeling a bit insecure just now…" He focused in on her more intently, knowingly. "But if it's Jenny…I mean, you wouldn't screw your sister," she giggled nervously. He raised an eyebrow in slight amusement. She cleared her throat. "…even if she isn't directly related." She shook her head at herself. He sighed, shaking his head at her. Then he brought his hands around to cup her face.

"I'm not going to cheat on you. Not now, not ever. And if I'm repulsed by the idea of sleeping with Serena, I'm obviously not going to pin the younger blonde, regardless of my attempts before."

She stifled a quiet chuckle.

"I'm not that person anymore."

She smiled softly at that, and nodded.

"And I have you to thank for that," he brought her hand around from the back of his neck and placed a delicate kiss across her knuckles. "Never doubt that Blair Waldorf." Her eyes shined at him. "I'm yours. Now and always."

She sighed contently. "Okay."

And then she kissed him.

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The day was bright and soft and beautiful, and Serena needed the fresh air to get away from everything and everybody. _What was the big deal?_ I mean, sure it was Carter _Baizen_, and he had been nothing but torture for just about everybody she knew, pretty much all of the time. But she was _convinced_ he was different with her, she _knew_ he was. He was changing too, even if it _was_ a slow process.

_Sigh_.

Perhaps it was too much to ask of people. It wasn't like she had exactly jumped to the realization of Chuck being a good guy. But was there _nothing_ she could do to even _guide_ people in the right direction?

"Serena?"

"What?" she whined, turning around to the voice that had called to her.

"Whoa. Is something wrong?" he near chuckled.

"Oh, Nate. Hi," she acknowledged him, trying to put on a brave happy face.

He didn't buy it.

"More Carter troubles?"

She sighed. "How'd you know?"

He shrugged. "I'm a good guesser."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"And I may have run into Chuck before—"

"—running into me."

He nodded. "Yeah."

She shook her head in silent frustration.

"That bad, huh?"

"Well…." She grumbled.

"I'm gonna go with a yes."

She giggled at him, and he gestured to a park bench a little ways off. It seemed to be there ever so constant meeting place, the benches at Central Park.

"It's just so frustrating, Nate. I mean, I get that he's been horrible to all of us—"

"—except you."

"Right," her eyes flashed to his, "except me."

"Go on," he gestured his hand in her direction.

She exhaled. "Well, I mean, I know he has no excuse, and I definitely don't approve of anything he's done to us, but he's done a lot for me, and…he's changed. You know? He's…he's not that same _bad guy_."

"And what did he do for you exactly?'

She shook her head. "He was helping me find my father," she threw out flippantly.

"What?!" he asked, aghast.

She nodded. "Yeah…"

"I didn't know you were looking," he paused, taking in the whole shocking aspect of the event, "Did you find him?"

She sighed, sinking further into the bench. "I'd rather not talk about it." Nate resigned himself, allowing her the distance she needed on this particularly _sensitive_ issue.

"Very well."

Silence ensued.

"If you want, I can talk to Chuck…get him to _lighten up_ a little?"

"Didn't you already?"

"Well, yeah, but…I was more of a listener than an active participant."

She giggled. "_Is_ it possible for you to really be active in conversations where _Chuck_ is concerned?"

He scoffed. "Of course! I just, well, you know _sometimes_—and that's an extremely rare sometimes—he's especially fiery about certain topics. It's best if you just let him vent and leave it at that."

"Good to know, Nate. _Thank-you_ for telling me. Now I know…how to act in future conversations with my smug step-brother."

He laughed. "But only sometimes!" he held up a finger in exclamation, and she laughed along with him.

"Of course, Nate. Don't underestimate my intelligence." She hit him swiftly on the arm and burst into giggles. _It felt so nice to have this. This free, happy peace. There were no frustrations or complications or endless details that always needed to be dealt with. It was just this, them, oblivion. And it was nice._

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A/N: Okay, I clearly have no clue what I'm actually doing. Lol. XD I mean, here I was concerned that the last chapter was too short, and now I feel this chapter is a sufficiently good length…and it's even shorter than that one. Ha. Well, I hope you loved this. Please review! And if you hadn't guessed already, I'm continuing this fic. ;p


	7. Fixing the Untouchables

A/N: My apologies, I know it's been awhile, but I've been chucking out multiple one-shots all week, so I think you should excuse me. XD Also, I should be updating more of my multi-chaptered fics for awhile, unless one-shot ideas suddenly spring up on me, especially with the new episode tomorrow. Lol. We'll just have to see. Oh, and as a warning, CB have absolutely no interaction in this chapter, and Chuck's not a big part of it—with Blair actually nonexistent. Lol. So…if you are in this fic solely for the sake of CB, I advise skimming this chapter through. They won't be a key part of it. ;p With that in mind, please R & R! It'll be much appreciated! =D

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**Ch.7—Fixing the Untouchables**

Vanessa couldn't stop the giggles from escaping her mouth; though she made sure they stayed secure within her mouth until both Nate and Bree had turned the corner.

"That—was brilliant," she declared to Scott the moment they sat down at the table Dan currently occupied. The nearest waitress brought two more coffees over for them, and Dan blinked in shock when the newspaper he had been losing himself in was snapped away by Vanessa herself.

"Thanks," the Humphrey boy voiced lamely, his statement soaking in sarcasm. "I was _definitely_ finished reading that." She didn't respond to him. Scott smirked at his two new-found friends, but continued the discussion with Vanessa, not wanting to diminish her sudden enthusiasm.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without you."

"Oh, nonsense!" she insisted. "I bet if it had been any other girl you would've done just as well." She beamed.

He shook his head. "Not necessarily—"

"—okay, okay," Dan cut him off. "So, what is your next step?"

Both Scott and Vanessa zeroed in on each other's expressions. They hadn't even _thought_ of what they were gonna do next. It was a miracle they had gotten _this_ far.

"I mean, all you've done is probably going to keep him away from Brooklyn for a sufficient amount of time…"

The continued silence only fed the fire of Dan's peruse for planning techniques.

"…not make him break up with his girlfriend…"

His eyebrows narrowed when neither of them still hadn't spoken up to voice any suggestions, and yet remained pinned to each other's faces in way of searching for answers.

"Am I the _only_ one trying to figure this out?" he asked. "_**Why**__ am I trying to figure this out?"_ he turned the direction of the questions towards himself. "Yes, Dan, _why_ is this? You're not even involved directly in the situation!" His eyes crossed for a moment and then he smacked himself on the head. "_Idiot!_"

Both Scott and Vanessa suddenly turned their gazes to him, their eyebrows furrowing in confusion and skepticism, as they attempted to analyze the very strange mental place their friend had just gone to. Dan sighed dramatically, and knowing her best friend as well as she did, Vanessa took the hint and ushered Scott towards the counter to buy some pastries and a few espresso shots for the three of them.

"Alright Dan, what's going on?" she settled back in her seat and focused her gaze back on the seemingly confused Humphrey boy.

"What are you talking about?" his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm just trying to help you with this whole Nate-Scott-jealousy thing," he chuckled, avoiding her gaze carefully and scratching and itchy spot at the base of his neck.

She raised her eyebrows in an amused dubious reaction. "And you're acting like it's life or death. Come on, Dan, I know you better than that. Tell me what's bothering you," she nudged him.

He sighed, rubbing a coffee-tinged hand across his face. Vanessa bit her lip softly, forcing herself not to mention the liquid brown stain that had now crossed from his forehead to the tip of his nose. She gulped to distract herself.

"Nothing's bothering me, I'm just tired. Really."

She nodded, allowing herself to believe it. "Maybe you should go home then? Take a nap?"

He looked to her like she was out of her mind. "It's 3 o'clock!" he shrieked, and she stifled a laugh.

"Believe it or not, people actually do take naps in the afternoon," she nodded rapidly, and after some time his completely serious face broke into a guilty grin.

"You're probably right," he sighed, his facial expression growing more dejected by the second. Her face softened. "I guess I could go home and take that nap," he chuckled, standing to his feet. She stood with him and smiled.

"I'll let Scott know you had to go."

He nodded. "Right." He turned to leave and then turned back to her momentarily. "Thanks."

"Any time," she watched him as he left, and convinced herself that he was just tired, that it had nothing to do with his personal life or the fact that he was now related to the girl he had been in love with since what seemed forever, and she was now officially involved with someone else—supposedly.

She sighed, turning back to a laid back Scott, leaning casually against the counter, a waitress pacing past him impatiently wanting him to order, for which she guessed he had declined every time. Vanessa inclined her head in the direction of the table and the before practically unknown boy came over to her, and sat down.

She sat with him and took in a deep breath of air.

"Family troubles?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I think he's just tired." _He could very well not be having issues with Serena or his family or anything really. Maybe he was just bored, she wouldn't really blame him. The most enthusiastic activity he had been involved in all summer was pre-reading his school books. And with Serena now dating Carter, or was she…?_

Scott nodded his head. "Always a possibility." He grinned at her, and Vanessa found herself back to dwelling on simpler things. _As if she and Nate were __**ever**__ a simple thing._ She blinked, forcing herself onto the task at hand, instead of daydreaming about once was or what would never be. "Nate?" he asked, and she smiled, nodding. She figured it'd be best if she started speaking out loud instead of to herself in her mind. _Things would never get accomplished if she stuck with that._

"Dan's right. I—we—have to do something else. We have to get inside his head somehow, make him realize—"

"—he can't live without you?" he offered. He was grasping at straws and he knew it, but it was all he could come up with.

"Yes!" she declared, growing more excited by the second. "But…" her face fell, "how?" she muttered.

Scott sighed. It seemed this was the constant issue they kept coming back to, and the seconds of silence growing between them weren't getting any shorter.

"Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly, and instantly he zoned in on what she apparently _needed_ to say. "I'll just call Jenny!" Her face was brimming with excitement, and it made him really wish he knew what she was talking about, or _who_ rather. His eyebrows fused. "Dan's little sister," she clarified, and he nodded his head in understanding. "She's still in high school and—well, she went to the same high school he did, obviously…I bet there are some dances or formal events going on there…" she trailed off.

"…events alumni might attend?" he asked, and her smile was wide and shining again.

"Exactly."

She pulled out her phone and hit _SEND_ on reaching Jenny Humphrey's name in the contact list. A huff escaped her list when she got the answering machine and she clicked her phone shut, ending the call.

"No luck?" he asked. Vanessa nodded.

"Yeah, she must be busy. I'll just run by there later, ask her about it. Dan might know too!" she went to pull out her cell phone again, but Scott stopped her. She looked at him, confused. "What?" she asked.

"Isn't he supposed to be taking a nap?" he quirked an eyebrow.

She grinned. "Yes," she paused, suddenly loving how observant this 'kid' was. "Yes, he is."

…………………………………………………………….

The sun was out. It was hot and the temperature loved her. She hardly burned, and when she did, it tanned less than two days later. Plus, this new rich life loved her too. She almost couldn't remember a time she had been less satisfied. And _Eric Van der Woodsen_ as her soon-to-be _step brother_? Could life _get_ any better?

"Jenny Humphrey."

She cringed, lifting her shades from over her eyes to rest on the top of her white-blonde hair. _Could she not get even a moment's peace?! Sigh._

"Chuck Bass," she answered grimly. "What can there possibly be done that you need to find yourself speaking to me?" she raised an eyebrow.

He cringed humorously. "You insult me, Little J," he sat on the tanning chair beside her. "Is it not enough that we're going to be family?" He smiled smugly.

She sighed, placing the shades back on her eyes and leaning back in her chair. "What do you need, Chuck?" Sure, she had spent most of her summer days out in this chair, tanning her life away, but it was near impossible that he had come out to tell her that. There was only one other idea prancing about it her mind, and she really hoped he hadn't come to see her for that.

_Perhaps insulting him would get him to leave._

When he said nothing to her question, she took that as her cue. "Look if you're so whipped, I'll be sure to inform whoever you need to know that you stopped by and we had a decent conversation."

"What?" he asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

She shrugged, pretending to act nonchalant, to not be jumping for joy at his reaction. "You know, that we didn't bite each other's heads off or anything."

"Humphrey—" he began, but she cut him off.

"Please, don't even try to convince me you didn't come here on Blair's request."

His jaw dropped. "I didn't."

She rolled her eyes, haven taken off her shades again. Unsurprisingly, she put them back on afterwards. "I'm sure," she muttered sarcastically.

"I _didn't_," he insisted, grinding his teeth as he stood to his feet. "And since when do you have such an _attitude_?"

She scoffed, taking her shades off _again_. "I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, even if I was—which I'm not—doesn't it come with being queen?" she raised an eyebrow, her recently adopted smirk falling as quickly as it arrived on Chuck's face.

"No," he said simply, "It comes with being, Blair, who, by the way, you will never measure up to."

Her jaw dropped, and he turned to leave, stopping only briefly once he reached the far side of the length of the pool.

"And in case you were curious, which according to your demeanor seems unlikely…I came here to ask you if it would be alright for me to escort or at least allow you to ride with me to this formal dance thing that St. Judes and Constance is holding."

Her mouth snapped shut.

"I'm sure Lily informed you this morning, probably just after I left, that she thought me taking you was a good idea, since Eric is already occupied."

Her face fell into a blank expressionless expression.

He sighed. "That's what I thought."

He turned to leave, and Jenny could not find it in herself to grasp the words that would make him stay, so she let him go. She didn't know why it suddenly seemed so important that he should stay, but a guilty feeling overcame her, and a determination to talk to Eric about the situation instantly became her greatest desire. She didn't know why Chuck had come to see her per say. It was quite a lot for him to go out of his way like he had. He could have just agreed and shown up, instead of coming to ask if it was okay—if it was what _she_ wanted. Not just out of necessity or convenience. Besides, it was a dance organized specifically for _St. Judes & Constance_ alumni. _Wouldn't he be taking Blair?_

She didn't know, and quite honestly the situation confused her to no end. She sighed, and stood to her feet. She had spent far too much time out in the sun all day, and all summer in general. True the 'argument' from that morning had been soothed within her when she went to tan by the pool. It was something that comforted as well as serving as a hobby over the summer. But things were suddenly different, and with Dan in his unusually tired state, there was only one person she could talk to.

She grumbled, realizing what she would have to do. She hadn't told _anybody_ about how she had confronted Chuck earlier in the year, before he had _finally_ gotten together with Blair. It made things even _more_ awkward between them, and probably served for the key reason why this possible 'joining-up' felt so difficult.

Jenny ran her freshly manicured fingernails across her forehead.

"Eric…"

……………………………………………………………………………………

"You rang?" the boy asked cockily, approaching the flustered girl still reclining on the tanning chair beside the pool. She laughed humorlessly.

"Actually, I called," she glanced at the nonexistent watch on her wrist. "And…over twenty minutes ago." She raised her eyebrows at him, her shades having found a permanent—as far as the last ten minutes—home on the tiny table beside her.

"My bad," he took a seat beside her. "What's up?"

She sighed, rubbing a hand across her face.

"That bad, huh?" he asked, turning his head to the side, and analyzing her every movement.

She chuckled lightly. "Chuck came by…"

Eric's eyes widened. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"And did he—"

"Yeah."

"Did you—"

"Maybe…" she squeaked, uncertainly.

"Jenny," he sighed.

"I have a _good_ excuse!" she sprang forward in her seat, trying to ignore how dramatically Eric raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" he asked, unconvinced, and dismissing the rapid nodding of her head. "Did it have anything to do with just you wanting him to leave? Besides that?" he cracked a grin, instantly subsiding from it when he saw the way her eyebrows narrowed at his response. "Jenny?" he inquired, suddenly concerned by her silence.

She sighed, rubbing a hand across her face _again_.

"There's something I don't know about, isn't there?"

She gulped, still not saying anything.

"It's something _no one_ else knows, isn't it?"

She almost sighed again, but bit her lip gently in the process. Finally she made eye contact with him, almost relieved after those seemingly forever lasting moments of silence—on her end at least. Then, she looked away.

"Jenny," he demanded.

She huffed. "Fine. I may have…" she sighed, "I may have confronted him about slipping back into his old habits because Nate was dating Blair again, when Nate was dating Blair again," she shrugged, trying to pull off the statement as normal, or at least nothing special. When she looked back to the boy before her though…he was gaping.

"Jenny," he breathed, almost breathlessly.

She nodded. "Yeah, I know…" she muttered pathetically.

"No, no!" Eric leaned forward, suddenly realizing where her thought patterns lie. "It's not what you think."

Her eyes flashed to his.

"If anything, _he_ owes _you_, not the other way around."

She scoffed, "Well, I never thought I owed him anything. I just figured being around each other would prove to be awkward."

"Ah," he slumped back into his chair, "I see."

She nodded. "Yeah." She avoided his gaze again, but then curiosity got the best of her and she glanced back in his direction. "But…what did you mean…" Eric looked at her, confused. "…_he_ owes _me_?" She raised her eyebrows. He nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "For what?" Her eyebrows fused together.

He almost choked on the surprise that erupted from him. "Jenny, because of what you said, he broke off from what he was doing and fought for Blair."

Jenny focused on the ground then, realizing the seriousness of what she had done, and what had resulted from that. She mouthed an _'oh my gosh'_ to herself in disbelief, though it appeared to be directed towards the cracks in the pavement.

"Chuck had grown up _a lot_. Then, his father died and he _really_ went off the deep end. He was starting to fight for Blair again, but by then _she_ had gone off the deep end and it was simply the fact that Nate got to her first. Chuck didn't feel worthy anymore. That's why he went back to…before. According to what you just told me, it sounds like you were just flat-out blunt to him about what was happening, about what Blair going back to Nate had done to him. That may have _just_ been the push he needed."

Jenny slumped back in her chair, and Eric's eyes were pinned to her every move, just like before. This was new information to him, and it was mind-blowing, as was Eric's interpretation to Jenny. Neither knew where to go from here, and the question of what to do was playing at the edge of either of their tongues, either of their minds.

Jenny gulped.

Eric scratched the far back hairs on the top of his head.

And they both sighed, and said nothing and Eric slumped into his chair the way Jenny had done moments earlier.

"So…" she finally attempted, turning her gaze to the boy beside her.

"I have no idea."

"And you don't think…?"

"I don't know." His gaze was frozen on the ground. Jenny looked away. At the pool, at the grass, to the roof on the house, to the door leading to the house, to Eric again. Nothing seemed safe, and yet everything but the task at hand appeared do-able, accomplishable, at the moment. Maybe for the next _several_ moments—moments meaning possible _centuries_.

The two sighed simultaneously.

"Well, this is—"

"Progress, definitely," Eric finished, turning to her finally. Jenny couldn't hold his gaze long though, and the cracks in the pavement came into view for both of them again.

Summer was summer, and it was close to coming to an end, but relationships were quite another thing. And this one seemed near impossible to fix…

…_if it had even begun to begin with. _

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

A/N: Well, I hope you loved it! =D I know my main couples/characters weren't really in this one, and that first scene was probably filler. *gulp* But please review anyways, _please_. And I'll try to update soon! =D


	8. Breaking the Cycle

A/N: Lol. Yes, I took too long, and yeah, I promised I'd be getting back to updating my multi-chaptered fics this last week, but…_GG_ started it!!! Lol *feels like a kindergartner XD* Seriously, if this last episode hadn't been so tragic I probably would have. But it was and so therefore I had to write another 3-shot. I'm sure you all don't mind though. Lol. And I will be getting to a more consistent basis of updating the multi-chaptered fics this week if tomorrow's episode isn't totally…*gulp*…tear worthy (in a bad way). I'm sure it won't be though! I have it on very good authority that it will end well. *nods happily* With that in mind…chapter 8! =D

***OWNS NOTHING***

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Ch.8—Breaking the Cycle**

"Well, maybe he's not that bad—"

Blazing, darkened eyes zoned in on Nate's features. He gulped.

"Come on, I mean if Serena's dating him—"

"Wait, they're dating now?"

He sighed, scratching a particularly itchy spot on his neck. This was not going well.

"Okay, I know he's screwed us over…more than once."

Chuck nodded in recognition, almost scoffing.

"But what happened?"

Brown eyes zoned in on blue again. "What are you talking about?"

"You practically idolized him when we were freshman."

Chuck avoided his gaze.

"What happened?" he prompted again.

He cleared his throat and refocused his attention again. "I don't know, let me think, somewhere in between messing with you, Blair and myself I got a little irritated."

The blonde sighed again, shaking his head. "But couldn't you at least—"

He put up a hand to stop him and in the process stopped himself on the sidewalk, turning to his friend. "Look, I appreciate that you're being such a good friend and trying to smooth over the track record between mortal enemies for the sake of Serena…" he paused momentarily, waiting for the denial.

There was none.

"But…I just loathe him, I hate the guy's guts, and nothing you or Serena say is going to make me think otherwise."

"Blair?" he offered.

Chuck scoffed. "_Please_, she doesn't like him anymore than I do."

Nate raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe a little more. But she wouldn't increase her likeability of the bastard simply for the sake of Serena. And please, don't remind me that there was a time that I didn't completely want him to burn in hell."

Nate laughed. "Harsh, much?"

Chuck nearly glared. "This is Baizen we're talking about. Even if I were harsh to him, it wouldn't register. He doesn't have a soul, and the only reason Serena's dating him if because she hasn't figured that out yet." He scoffed.

"There's more…isn't there?" he asked, somehow piecing something together that hadn't been spoken. "He said something to you."

"What?" he asked incredulously. "Since when has—" silence on Nate's knowing stare. The boy was really picking up on too many things these days. "—okay, fine, he said something. But it's not like it really bothered me or anything. Trivial stuff," he shrugged, pausing at a vendor and becoming discouraged when they offered nothing besides lemonade and ice tea. _Ridiculous_.

Nate laughed. "Something about Blair then."

Chuck gaped. "Blair is not trivial."

"So, it wasn't trivial," he concluded.

"I never said it—"

A smirk slid into place on Nate's face and Chuck pointed at him in mock-fury.

"You are getting too smart."

The blonde laughed. "Perhaps Bree does that to me," he contemplated.

Chuck shook his head. "Maybe this is why your families don't get along."

Nate cleared his throat. "Blair?"

"Oh…right. Fine," he sighed. "Baizen threw in my face some of the regrettable comments I made to Blair when I was…" he paused, searching for the right words, "not myself."

He pursed his lips.

"Oh!" he turned his body slightly in direction of his humored best friend, "he also threatened to drag Serena wherever we would send him off to…with him, should we do that. He looks good on the outside—to _Serena_—but he's _not_. He's bad news however you look at it, and Serena should stay away from him." He pointed his finger in emphasis toward Nate's pained face. He had stopped again, but now turned back towards the general direction of the street and walked. Nate followed, after a moment of silence and contemplation.

He said he'd talk to Chuck for her and smooth things over. Well, he had talked to him. He never told her he was a miracle worker.

"Can we please change the topic now?" he sighed, brushing a hand through his silky brown locks.

Nate nodded. "Sure man, what to?"

"You and _Bree_," he smirked, sending the quirk of his lips Nate's way.

The blonde coughed in surprised. "Hmm?" he asked, covering his mouth with his bent arm.

Chuck's eyebrows furrowed in amusement. "Not exactly the reaction I was expecting. Trouble in paradise?"

He sucked in a breath of air uneasily. "No, it's just…"

"Sleeping with the enemy is hot, but dating the enemy is—"

"—complicated."

"Ah," he nodded. "So…?" he prompted.

Nate shook his head. "I don't know, man. She's great_, really_. She's beautiful and funny and incredible to be around, it's just—"

"She's not Vanessa." Chuck was flat-out smiling now, especially when Nate's blue eyes flashed to his own hazel-browns.

"What?!" he asked, aghast.

Chuck nearly spat at the response. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"I don't," he insisted.

The brunette rolled his eyes. "Nate, you went through a lot of girls this last year—"

"Hey, now that's not—"

Chuck continued, unmoved. "—but you always came back to Vanessa."

His lips pursed again. Tight.

"The only reason you didn't even try to persuade her over the summer was because you were a total ass to her at the opening of a new girl."

"You mean Blair."

He sighed testily.

"Yes, I mean Blair. Could we not have the reminders?"

Nate shook his head. "I'm sorry, man, but you're wrong."

Chuck raised his eyebrows amused. "Am I?"

"Yes! I am so over Vanessa. If I wasn't I wouldn't be dating someone else."

"Uh-huh."

"I wouldn't!"

"So, you didn't initially date Vanessa because you weren't really over Blair, and then didn't have your little rendezvous with Mrs. Beaton because you regretted not getting involved again with Brooklyn girl? Oh, and then you hooked up with Jenny because you confused yourself and thought Vanessa had 'broken up' with you instead of the other way around. Oh, and Blair just happened again, because…well, you were an ass and couldn't really fix your problems." He smirked at the end of his speech and Nate stared blankly at him.

"You make my life sound like a soap-opera!" he exclaimed, halting his feet.

Chuck laughed. "Welcome to the upper east side, Nathaniel. This should not come as a shock to you," he turned to look at him, gesturing his hands for emphasis.

"Carter," he forced, determined.

Chuck rolled his eyes and turned back around, shaking his head. "You suck at changing the subject."

…………………………………………………………………………………

The elevator ride to the Van-der-Woodsen-Bass-(_soon to be_) Humphrey's penthouse was shorter than expected. Blair considered it was a possibility that no one else had even contemplated riding the elevator that day, but it seemed highly unlikely.

_When __**wasn't**__ an elevator used? I mean, who in their right mind uses the stairs if they don't have to? Probably employees. They've never really experienced the luxuries of moving boxes or steps._

She shook her head from these ridiculous thoughts. Sometimes it was best to focus on the task at hand, not the trivialities in daily life.

_**DING!**_

The doors parted and she walked inside.

Empty.

She couldn't find anyone in sight, and it bothered her.

"Serena?"

Nothing.

"Lily?"

Nothing.

"Eric?"

Silence.

She huffed, collapsing onto the couch.

_Had there even been a __**point**__ in coming over? She thought with Chuck spending most of the day with Nate that she could catch up with Serena. She had cancelled basically all their get-togethers lately because of her sudden need for __**Chuck-time**__._

She giggled.

_Chuck-time was awesome._

"Blair…" she cleared her throat. The brunette's gaze snapped to where the voice was coming from.

"Jenny," she stated, shocked. Of course she knew this was where the Humphrey's were planning on staying, minus Dan that is, but…

"You weren't expecting me." She concluded.

She blinked, standing to her feet and brushing out the nonexistent wrinkles in her skirt. "Yes," she began, gaining back her almost always constant confidence. "I was hoping—"

"Serena isn't here." She turned for the kitchen, searching for the proper afternoon snack. "She went out with Carter somewhere," she tossed out casually.

"I….see. And you, why aren't you with—"

"Dan is out with Vanessa, and Eric's with Jonathan. Lily and Rufus are…somewhere." She moved on to the fridge with no luck in the before rummaged cupboards. There was apple juice in there and she decided that would suffice.

Blair was speechless. It was unsafe that Jenny Humphrey could finish her thoughts and sentences. She cleared her throat.

"I'll tell Serena you stopped by if you want," the blonde beamed when finally reaching the juice and pouring some into a glass. She took a sip.

The brunette laughed shortly, quietly. "How about…no."

Jenny's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

_Complete confusion. Perfect._

Blair smiled. "Come with me," she looped her arm through the younger girl's and dragged her into the adjoining room. "Let's talk." She patted the seat beside her and Jenny uneasily sat in it.

"What?" she asked again. Even if Blair _had_ deemed her queen of Constance for the next school year, it didn't mean they had warm and fuzzy feelings towards each other.

"Tell me…" she played with a few of the girl's white-blonde strands.

Jenny was sufficiently freaked out.

"…what's new with you?"

"Is this about Chuck?"

Blair leaned back into the couch, sighing in slight frustration. "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

She smirked, relief silently filling her. _She should have known it would be about Chuck. Blair and Chuck were pretty much a package deal these days. Though, it seemed they had always been in one way or another. Even after the Kiss on the Lips party, it had been Blair who had known the workings of Chuck Bass's mind._

"Not this time," her eyes shifted. "Have I done something?" she guessed.

Blair cleared her throat, sitting up again. "No, no, of course not." She shook her head, willing her insecurity to wish itself away. She was being ridiculous.

"Look I don't even _want_ to go to the dance with him, or even let him _drive_ me. And if you say it makes you feel uncomfortable, I will actually have a legitimate reason for denying him."

_It's a dance? Sigh._

It felt like it had been _ages_ since she had last danced with Chuck.

She scoffed. "_Please_, Jenny. It's good for Chuck to bond with his family." _It is. _"And I want for you two to not be so bitter with each other. He's on a good playing field with every member of his new family but you." _It was true. And she __**did**__ want this._ "So what do you say? Go with him?" _Now her thoughts were gone, and self-pity was bound to come. Eventually._

She sighed unsuredly. "I don't know, Blair. I don't feel good…about this."

"Oh, come on," she encouraged, tapping her shoulder. "Wouldn't be exciting to have a Bass on your arm for the first formal of the year?"

She swallowed hard. "Wouldn't it be…insulting? To you, I mean? Everyone would see your guy on my arm."

She sighed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "_Jenny_, they know who he belongs to," she chirped, "and if they don't they'll see it at the next big event."

Silence.

"You have to make an impression as the new queen of the school. _This_ is the way to do it."

She pursed her lips. Everything about this felt so wrong. She wasn't on good terms with Chuck, didn't really want to be around him period—_ever_. Blair was being overly sweet and cheery to her and that could never be considered natural from the well-known bitchy brunette. Plus, she had overheard a few of Serena's phone conversations recently. Blair had become very insecure of her relationship with Chuck when her best friend came back from Europe. She knew Serena regretted bringing up the subject to begin with, but the brunette denied any faltering feelings only days later.

She sighed.

_Since when did __**surface Blair**__ reflect possible boiling emotions seething beneath?_

Bringing up any of this knowledge could not possibly help her in any way…

"Okay," she accepted.

"Really?!" she squealed. It scared her.

Jenny's eyes widened. "Yeah, but you have to convince him," she insisted. "I was pretty rough to him last time he came around."

Blair shrugged it off. "Oh, don't worry about that. I can totally convince him," she nodded, and Jenny was grateful she had not gone into the details of _how_. She offered a small smile, but it worried her that she didn't even tease her a _little bit_ on how Chuck could never be hurt by something she said. Either it was possible or she had some nasty little trick up her sleeve. Either one didn't make her feel entirely comfortable.

"Well, I'd better be off," she beamed at her as she stood. "Tell Serena I said hi!" she waved her off and turned on her heel, heading for the elevator.

Jenny just stared.

_How the heck was she going to explain this to Eric? Though knowing him, he'd understand it all too well, and not find it in the least surprising._

………………………………………………………………………………

She bit her bottom lip gently, staring up into his deep eyes. He completely mesmerized her and for all the convincing she tried to persuade herself of…she couldn't remember feeling this happy in awhile. Dan had been great, but that had become so…complicated. Gabriel and Aaron were just so…not right. And Nate? Sigh. She'd rather just forget that ever happened.

But Carter. If she didn't know any better she'd say they were the repeat Chuck and Blair—without as much scandal, though this certainly did call for its own.

"Beautiful."

"Hmm?" she asked, blinking back into the reality of what sat in front of her in the classy Italian restaurant he had especially picked out for her.

"You, you're beautiful." He brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed it.

She smiled.

"Thank-you," she whispered softly.

He released her hand and she laid it beside her wine glass, smiling politely at the waiter as he passed them by with a wild glint in his eyes. Clearly he knew who they were and wanted an extra large tip. Carter noticed it too and they both glanced at each other, laughing a bit at the recognition.

"You think we should pay him?"

She shook her head playfully. "No, absolutely not."

He looked on at the waiter now making his way to the opposite end of the restaurant, glancing back at them every so often

"We're horrible, you know?"

She nodded. "Mmm, but it is a lot of fun, I have to admit."

He laughed, smiling wildly at her, his dimples poking through. She stared at him, eyes twinkling all over his face.

"God, these tables are too long."

Her eyebrows furrowed instantly, glancing down at the table between them. "Uh…what?" she asked, confused.

"I can't kiss you," he complained.

Her smile grew wider and his gaze danced with hers. She rose from her seat just a little and leaned across the table, pulling him up by his tie until they were inches apart.

"How about now?" she whispered.

He kissed her.

"Mmm, yummy," he commented, and she pushed him back down to his seat as she went to her own.

"That was _not_ romantic," she joked, flattening her napkin back across her lap.

He was mesmerized.

"Wanna try it again?" he quirked an eyebrow, and she glanced up at him, unable to hide the smile that had found its way back on her face.

"No."

He pouted.

"We have to talk about Chuck," she avoided his gaze. She knew he looked taken aback.

"Well, abrupt change in subject. What about the Devil incarnate? How are he and the goddess from He—"

"My step-brother and my best friend? They're fine," she replied, skeptical face firmly in place. She crossed her arms and laid them on the table.

There was an uneasy silence between them.

"Carter, I know you like me, and I like you too—"

"But?"

She sighed, suddenly irritated by actions she found adoring moments earlier. "If you don't get along with them, I don't get along with you. Because, if God forbid something happens between us, I'm gonna need someone to run to, and I can't have them all hating me because I chose to be with you."

He reared back again, leaning against his seat. "I see. So you want a back-up plan incase this fails."

She shook her head. "No, that came across wrong…"

"Well, how was it supposed to come across, Serena?" he spat, his eyebrows narrowing.

_"…__all Carter cares about is himself. You'd be wise to break it off before you get in too deep."_

She gulped, trying to focus on what she needed to say.

"Carter," she looked back at his flaring eyes, "What did you say to Chuck the other day?"

His expression smoothed over.

"Nothing much, why?"

"Did it have to do with Blair?" she almost whined, bringing a hand to her head for fear of a migraine, and where exactly this might lead. _If Chuck was right about Carter there was no way she was giving him credit…or telling him._

"No, I don't—well, a little," he shrugged.

"A little?" her eyebrows fused, anger starting to build.

"Yeah, I mean," he paused, "It's almost impossible to insult him these days _without_ mentioning her, and you know…that's what I live for." He smirked, hardly noticing when she shook her head incredulously. "Why? What is it?" he started, suddenly on the border of panic. He took her hand in his own but she snapped it away, finally focusing her gaze back on his face.

"I don't think I can do this," she placed the napkin back on the table beside her plate.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, small fear of losing her unraveling in his mind.

She sighed testily. "As I've said before, we like each other, Carter, but if you don't like my friends…then I don't like you." She got up from his seat, but he followed suit and went after her outside the restaurant.

The waiter looked mournfully at the vacant seats and what he had hoped would be the location of some favorable green bills.

"You know I've always had issues with Chuck, and Blair goes right along with that!"

Serena spun around, finally coming around to face him. "That doesn't mean you have to talk about them like that! Devil incarnate? Goddess from Hell? Even with Chuck's most despicable cursing…he doesn't lower himself to that level."

Carter shook his head, smiling in disbelief and briefly looking away. "Serena, do you hear yourself?"

She scoffed. "Yeah, I do." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"I could do worse!" he defended.

"I don't know why you don't. If you're holding yourself back because of me, then you can stop, because we're over."

His head reared back a little. "What?"

_Did he mishear her? _

"You, me, Carter," she gestured between them, "We're done. I can't believe I actually thought you were different."

"Serena—" he grabbed hold of her arm when she tried to walk away, but she snapped it away.

"Thanks for the summer," she spat, eyeing his figure with disgust, spewing out the sarcasm.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and hurt. He gulped.

"You helped me find my father, and I finally found a way to get rid of you."

She walked away, and he let her.

He stood there and watched her walk away again.

She was always walking away.

And he was always letting her go.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A/N: Okay, it is finished! =D I hope you liked it, and please PLEASE review. I only got 2 reviews for the last chapter. It was devastating, and I almost always wonder if people even want me to continue this fic. But then I read it a bit, and you know...it's pretty awesome. Lol. Review! =D

(And worry not! From what I've heard tomorrow's episode will end spectacularly!! *hopes sources are reliable lol* If not, I wrote a 3-part fic on its possibilities…make sure to check it out ;p)


	9. Crushed

A/N: You know, I'm pretty surprised at myself for updating this so soon. Lol. I mean those one-shots and three-shots just like…attack me and make me write them. XD Even today I think I'm going to end up writing one just for the sake of Halloween. Lol. Though, if it doesn't happen it's b/c I was trying to get up this chapter for y'all, even if like no one is reading and reviewing it, which makes me sad. *tear* Anyhow, chapter 9. Enjoy!

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**Ch.9—Crushed**

"Roses."

"Mmm," he nodded, "Quite so." He glanced up at her expression, noticing the restrained smile. Once again he had managed to conjure up the perfect gift. "Do you like them?"

She sighed, avoiding his gaze. "They're alright." She shrugged.

"Alright?" he questioned, skeptically.

She nodded, finding her eyes staring back into his. "Yes, _Chuck_. Alright."

He set the flowers on the table beside them and gathered her up in his arms, relishing in the feel of her fingers moving around on his back. He purred into her ear. "Are you sure?"

The words caught her by surprise and shivers ran through her. She gulped. "Absolutely," she breathed. He laid several sweet, wet kisses along her neck, blowing warm breaths across them. She shivered again. "Chuck," she breathed.

"Mmm?"

"Thank-you," she mumbled, losing herself in him. He lifted his head and dropped a small peck on her nose.

"You're welcome," he said, backing away and making for the door. Her eyes narrowed.

"Chuck!"

He turned around, thrilled by her disappointment in his teasing departure. He would have never left her so soon anyways. He had been waiting all day to see her, and to add to that, he had only been there five minutes.

"Yes?"

Her furrowed face relaxed. "You're teasing me," she concluded.

"It disappoints me you did not realize it immediately."

She smirked and walked towards him, kissing him on instant and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It's been three hours. I missed you," she slurred in between kisses. He was tempted to ask her what she was _actually saying_, since it was hardly decipherable, but he knew and didn't correct her. He loved her like this. When she was so intoxicated by him she couldn't even speak correctly.

"Missed you too," he groaned when she grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him closer to her. He went willingly, tightening his hold on her waist and walking with her as she moved backwards towards the couch. She lowered her lips to his neck and nipped at his ear lobe. He lost himself in her wild brunette curls and began moving his gripping hands along the side of her body, suddenly lamenting that there were no buttons or easy ways of getting her blouse off.

She sensed his frown. "Disapproval?" she whispered hotly in his ear.

He laughed. "Unlikely. Well, maybe your choice of clothing today," he smirked when her head reared back to look at him quizzically. He sighed at the lack of her lips sucking against his skin. "Exactly."

Her eyebrows furrowed further. "Explain."

He raised his eyebrows in humor. "Your shirt was not going to come off unless you stopped…_that_," he sighed again, remembering his lamentation and falling back into the surface sorrow.

She slipped the blouse over her head, letting it drop onto the floor. "Better?"

"Mmm," he moaned, zeroing in on her bra-encased breasts. She smirked.

"Well," she lifted his face to her eyes, "while we're at a halt…"

He frowned.

"I thought I should let you know that you now have _no_ option but to take Jenny to the Constance formal." She beamed.

His eyebrows furrowed and his frown increased. "Blair—"

She placed one of his hands on her breast but he pulled it away, regrettably. A small frown appeared on her face now. Apparently physical teasing wasn't always a guaranteed distraction when trying to get her way, not when Chuck Bass was concerned about her.

"What?" she asked, frustrated.

"I told you before—"

"And I told you I was okay with it," she insisted, placing a hand over his mouth.

"Blair." He pulled her hand away, holding tightly to it.

"By the end of the conversation I told you I was okay."

He shook his head incredulously at her.

"I'm not going to stop being insecure if I can't prove to myself that you can be okay with another girl for a couple hours. I can handle it. You're not going to cheat on me," she nearly shouted at him, but he took no offense. It was so clear she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

He sighed. "I'm not."

"I know," she offered a small smile.

He shook his head, sitting on a chair donning the table beside them, where the roses now made their home.

"I don't know what it's going to take for—"

"_This_," she insisted—more forcefully this time. She took a seat on the chair opposite him and held tightly to the hands still encasing her own. "I don't mean to be so insecure," she stared down at the floor. "But if you could just—"

"Okay," he accepted, looking into her deep brown eyes and pulling her chin up. He pulled her to him and kissed her softly on the lips, leaning his forehead against hers when they parted.

She sighed in relief. He felt he had heard this sigh too often, ever since Serena had come back. And even though he wanted to blame all of this on the peppy blonde, he knew she hadn't wanted this spiral any more than he did, than Blair did certainly. Serena was just shining light on a possibility. He and Blair were so untrustworthy to others. It was probably expected that at some time or another they would be towards each other. He had to be strong for her.

"On one condition," he said.

"What?" she breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

"We have _got_ to stop interrupting these heavy make-out sessions for deep topics."

She looked up at him, smiling.

_Butterflies._

"What if it's my way of showing you I love you?" she teased.

He smirked. "I can think of better ways." Leaning in, he kissed her, and she deepened the kiss, moving from her chair to his lap, wrapping her legs about his waist. He stood and moved back in the direction of the couch.

She moaned.

"For a second there, I thought you were going to put your top back on," he pulled her closer as they landed on the soft cushions. "You know, for fury's sake."

She smiled against him, kissing him harder and teasing the buckle on his belt. He groaned. "You are far too fearful, Bass. If anything, I would have taken more off."

He played with the zipper on her short skirt.

_God, he loved this woman._

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Jenny Humphrey's new room was large, and the new clothes that came with it were far more extravagant than she could have even dreamed of purchasing before. Nevertheless, it was the day of the Constance-St. Judes Alumni Ball, and she needed some assistance in making herself presentable.

"Now, I'm no upper east sider, but I do think the deep red looks far more dazzling on you than the bright pink err—magenta."

Jenny turned around and rolled her eyes at Vanessa.

"Thanks," she almost said mockingly, taking the red dress from the girl's hands.

Vanessa nearly scoffed. "Hey if you want to where the pink one, by all means. But…uh, fall's just around the corner and pink," she sighed, breaking off her own sentence.

"No, You're right, V," she smiled into the full-length mirror. "This one is perfect." She spun towards her again. "Get my make-up for me?"

Vanessa nodded. "Right away, your Majesty," she bowed, giggling a bit and heading off towards the bathroom. There was a knock on the door when she left, and Jenny turned to see Dan standing in the doorway, a hand covering his eyes.

"Is it safe?" he called into the room.

"Dan."

"What? What does that mean? Can I come in?"

"Dan!" she called, finding his behavior ridiculous.

He cleared his throat, slowly feeling around on the floor with his feet. Jenny crossed her arms across her chest, folding the tow dresses over her elbows. Then, Vanessa—in the rush that she was—bumped straight into the blinded boy and the two fell down to the floor.

"Dan!"

"Vanessa!"

"Jenny!"

Dan uncovered his eyes with the simultaneous calling and placed the previously used hand to soothe his now aching back. Vanessa was sprawled over his legs, and Jenny was gaping at the sight, wanting to help both of them somehow at the same time but not knowing how to do it.

"A-are you okay?" she winced. Both Dan and Vanessa nodded to her and got to their feet. "I'm…clothed, Dan," she confirmed.

He sighed. "I see that."

"I thought you would've realized that with how I—"

"Yeah, thinking back on that…I can see where you would put those two thoughts together."

Jenny nodded, fixing her gaze back on Vanessa who had spilled half her make-up on the carpet some feet away. The two sighed, and Dan quickly made his way out of the room, briefly mumbling some distorted comment of how Jenny would look great. Both girls walked over to the spilled contents and brought it all back to its original encasement.

"So, I hear Chuck's taking you," the dark-haired girl prompted. Jenny sucked in a breath, and Vanessa laid a steady hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay with that?" The blonde shook her head briefly in way of shrugging it off.

"I've come to peace with it?" she glanced up at the girl crouching across from her. All of the makeup had been gathered and the two wandered over to the huge bed and sat down.

"Meaning?"

She sighed. "Meaning…Chuck and I aren't at a good place, we never were really," she scoffed, "but Blair insists on it."

"Blair?" Vanessa asked, in disbelief.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, tell me about it."

She shook her head. "It's never really a good idea to get involved with those two," she muttered.

"I think they're good for each other though," Jenny contemplated.

"Oh, _I know_ they're good for each other," Vanessa spat and Jenny's eyes narrowed at the tone in which she carried. More for the fact that the brush was moving harsher across her hair now. She turned to face her before any make-up was applied.

"Okay V? Besides the obvious, are you holding some sort of grudge against Chuck and Blair?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No, no of course not. I just…"

"Don't understand them?"

She smiled softly, and nodded her head. "Yeah."

Jenny turned back around, smirking. "Welcome to the club."

Vanessa chuckled, brushing through the blonde's hair with more ease and less friction now.

"Though," she lifted a finger, "Contrary to popular belief, they really _do_ bring out the best in each other, instead of the worst."

She shook her head. "Really?"

Jenny nodded. "Yep. Serena testifies this to me nearly every day. She even says that out of the two of them, _Chuck_ comes out being more mature."

"_Ha_! I could have told you that one. Turn around."

Jenny turned towards her so the makeup could begin to be applied. "How's that?"

Vanessa cleared her throat. "Let's just say I've had a few interactions with Chuck and Blair. In at least one of them Chuck was definitely the more mature individual, the one with more of a heart."

Jenny shrugged. "Well, regardless, I wouldn't have seen it coming."

She nodded. "Yeah, I suppose. Though—" she chuckled, silencing herself when she caught the blonde's quizzical stare. "Close your eyes." Jenny did so and the eye shadow and mascara were applied. Soon after the lip gloss and other such necessary make-up were applied. When the girls finally looked at the masterpiece Vanessa had created, they were pretty in awe.

"Thank-you, Vanessa," Jenny beamed.

"Hey, thank yourself. You're the one with the gorgeous figure and flawless skin." She nudged her, going to gather the make-up back together as Jenny slipped into the sparkling deep red dress. When the dark-haired girl turned back around, box in hand, Jenny's outfit was complete except for the pair of sparkling silver shoes in the corner of the room.

She smiled at herself in the mirror, then sighed.

"What?"

Jenny shook her head. "Nothing. I just remembered I was being escorted to this thing by Chuck."

Vanessa giggled, wrapping her arms around the girl. "Hey, he's not so bad—" Jenny turned to her.

"Now, do you say that because you slept with him or because he almost bought that old broken down bar?" she quirked an eyebrow and laughed as Vanessa pushed her aside.

"_Both_ mistakes," she defended.

Jenny nodded, in both teasing and acceptance. "I'm sure."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you need anything else?" she asked, bringing the studded silver shoes over to her dolled-up friend. Jenny shook her head.

"Nope. I think that's about it. Now all I have to do is…" she sighed, groaning at the thought.

"….wait for Chuck," Vanessa smirked, finishing her sentence. She hugged the girl on approaching the doorway. "You'll be fine, and you look beautiful."

She smiled. "Thank-you Vanessa, for everything."

"Of course! Oh, and in regards to Chuck—"

She winced. "Yeah?" she asked, hesitantly.

Vanessa chuckled. "Just think—he's thinking of Blair all the time. He's only doing this as a favor to Lily." She nodded on her way out, and Jenny smiled at that final sentiment. _Vanessa was right. Chuck wasn't doing this because he wanted to or because it was some sick game he was playing with Blair. He was doing it because Lily asked him to, and strangely enough that didn't make her feel better. In fact, it made her feel worse. _

She looked back at herself in the mirror and contemplated the last words she said to Chuck and their last real exchange in the previous school year. The _Kiss on the Lips_ party had changed everything, and suddenly his motives for taking her to tonight's event were _very important_ to Jenny Humphrey. She didn't want Chuck Bass did take her to the _Constance-St. Judes Alumni_ Ball because he _had_ to; she wanted him to take her because he _wanted_ to. She wanted Chuck to _want_ to take her.

That thought alone made her forgive him instantly. She knew he wasn't the same guy he was on their first real encounter. What she had said to Vanessa _had_ been true, and Blair _did_ bring out the best in him. _Was it so bad that she wanted to be on __**good**__ terms with this new Chuck Bass?_

………………………………………………………………

Sigh.

No matter how many ways he twisted it and untwisted it, he could not get that ridiculous tie suitable positioned around his collar.

Blair bit her lip watching him with adoring his eyes. She was incredibly humored by the situation and had to keep from laughing since he could probably see her through the mirror in which was reflecting his and _her_ image. It was how she had come to witness this.

She cleared her throat. "Need help?"

He looked up at her in the mirror. "No," he scoffed, "I've got this," he said, pushing away his frustrated mindset.

She nodded, trying to be convincing. When he sighed again after trying a few more times, she rose from her seat on the bed and walked towards him. He tried to push her away at first, knowing she wanted to just fix the tie for him, however when she kissed him instead…lips, jaw, neck…he forgot entirely who he was and where he was going. It was then that she fingered her way up to his tie and tied it while he was unawares.

Chuck's eyes opened when she stopped kissing him. She was smiling, smirking rather and that's when he noticed it. The tie. It was perfect.

He rolled his eyes, inspecting it in the mirror just to make sure.

"Satisfied?" she quirked an eyebrow, and it infuriated him to no end. He glared at her in the mirror's reflection. His expression eased though, and he found himself helplessly forgetting about the whole tie together. He turned to her and smirked.

"Always," he kissed her, moving past her to grab his formal jacket and attach the constant-appearing watch to his wrist, hiding it in the sleeve of his suit.

"Are you excited?" she asked, coming up behind him to encircle her arms about his waist. He smiled softly at the feel of her arms around him, butterflies bursting in his stomach.

"Not as excited as I would be if you were coming with me," he swayed the two of them slowly.

Blair rolled her eyes, walking across the room to examine herself in the mirror. "It's a _high school_ formal, Chuck. If it were extended to all ages _of course_ I'd be your date."

He turned to her and nodded. "Of course."

"You're only going because Lily specifically asked you to take Jenny, who apparently didn't have any other options?"

Chuck raised his eyebrows briefly. "Apparently," he slid his hands into his pockets. "And because you went to Jenny yourself and _insisted_ that she had to go with me."

She looked to him and walked towards the bed. "Everything I said is true. Everybody _does_ know who you're coming home to, and it _is_ a good first impression to make if you're going to be the new queen of Constance."

He sighed, coming towards her and sitting on the bed beside her. "I know. I just feel—"

She shook her head.

"But are you su—"

"Chuck," she put a finger to his lips, sighing, "I'm okay with it. _Really_. I insist on it."

He searched her eyes desperately. If he found even the hint of her not wanting this to happen, he wouldn't go through with it—not even if she _begged_ him to. But he couldn't find anything. There was only encouragement, humor and maybe even a little excitement. The only thing close to jealousy or insecurity he found was the slight loneliness she would feel when he wasn't next to her for a few hours.

"And what are you going to do while I'm gone?" he played with his tie, straightening it down the front of his shirt. His position relaxed.

She crossed one knee over the other. "I'll probably just call Serena or watch—"

"_Breakfast at Tiffany's_," he smirked, catching the slight frown on her face which probably interpreted into her thinking he was making fun of her. He leaned in and kissed her. "I love you," he whispered, and then felt the creeping back of a smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

"I love you too," she said, stifling a few giggles.

He kissed her again and then pulled away. "I better get going."

She nodded.

"I'll miss you."

"Well obviously," she rolled her eyes at him and he smiled wildly at her. He stood to his feet and she stood with him, her flared white skirt spinning with her as she went.

"I don't care what Jenny or any other girl wears, you and this little white skirt make a beautiful combination."

Her eyes twinkled at him and she smiled wider.

"Though," he looked her up and down, "I have to admit—the birthday suit does come off a little nicer."

She gaped, and pushed him away playfully, but couldn't keep the giggles from escaping her lips. "Go to your dumb formal."

He smirked, pulling her in for a quick kiss before heading out the door. He grabbed the single rose resting on the kitchen table on his way out and Blair couldn't help but see the similarities between that rose and the roses he had brought home for her earlier in the day. _Stop it_, she told herself. _Stop being so insecure_, she commanded.

The door clicked shut and she was all alone. There was no sound coming from anywhere. You couldn't even hear any traffic or late-night anything from outside their Upper East Side windows. But all the lights were on, and she shivered in the warm room. She missed him already, and he probably wasn't even to his limo yet.

Her phone vibrated.

**Wait up for me**

**-C**

Sigh. She had an incredible boyfriend and she had nothing to be worried about. Blair Waldorf could be insecure at times, but she almost _never_ let a simple idea suggested _even_ by her best friend affect her this much. None of this over-exaggerated insistence made sense in her head, but she figured that didn't matter. Feelings often flooded over into what was fact and tangible. This was why she had to let Chuck go with the petite blonde. If she put him directly into another girl's arms—soon to be relative or not—and he came back to her completely faithful, even her _feelings_ wouldn't be able to believe in infidelity. Besides, Jenny didn't even seem that enthused to be going with the Basstard.

………………………………………………………………………………

"S, what's wrong?"

The sniffles on the other end definitely signaled something major. When Blair had spotted Serena's name across the color ID of her cell phone she had felt an eerie feeling. Sure, she had planned on calling the bouncy blonde eventually, just to pass time until Chuck came back, but this was not the way she had planned on the phone call going down.

"I broke up with him."

Blair gulped, her eyebrows furrowing. "What do you mean? Broke up with who—Carter?"

A teary sigh escaped her. "Yeah…it's just—he just—"

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm sure he did something awful."

"What?" Serena asked, confused. "When I talked to you about him earlier you said you'd help me win Nate and Chuck over. I thought you didn't have any issues with Carter."

Blair sighed. "I didn't say I didn't have issues. They're just not as severe as Nate's, and certainly not Chuck's. Talk about absolute rivals," she cringed.

The blonde shook her head. "Okay, well, I broke up with him because of the two of you."

"What?!" she asked, suddenly a little offended. "What did _we_ do?"

She sighed. "Everything apparently," she shrugged, "He's not fond of you and he just wouldn't quit, and I told him I couldn't be with him if he couldn't at least try to be civil with my step-brother and best friend..."

Blair bit her lip sympathetically.

"I mean, I really wanted to go with him to tonight's dance, but…" she sighed again, "well, it's over."

"Tonight's dance?" she asked, confused.

Another teary sigh. "Yeah…"

"S, what are you talking about?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Don't you know? I heard Chuck was going, I just figured that meant with _you_."

Blair gaped, suddenly coming to the realization of what had happened. She gulped. "Who's _Jenny_ going with?"

"Jenny?" she asked, really confused now. "I have no idea. I would say Eric, but I'm pretty sure he's going with Jonathan, or doing something else with him probably."

"So…_no one_ then?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said blankly, not coming to any conclusions and simply letting the words slip out of her mouth, still consumed in how she had ended things with Carter and _why_. "Oh!" she suddenly refocused, "Unless my mom set her up with someone."

"Lily?" Blair's eyebrows fused.

"Mmhmm," she nodded. "She likes to get her family together and paired up for these types of things," she chuckled softly.

Blair shook her head incredulously.

"So wait, you must not be with Chuck now, then—"

"What's this dance _for_?" she demanded.

"Uh…_Constance and St. Judes_ alumni—"

"So _not_ just the high school?"

"No, wh—?"

_**Dial tone.**_

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A/N: So, I fear that last scene was too short, but I still hope you liked the chapter as a whole. What the heck, though? It almost looks like I put in Vanessa having a tid bit of feelings for Chuck in that second scene! *gapes at self* Well, don't take it like that…if you did, she doesn't and won't. It is just her contemplations on past experiences with CB and how it's affected her views. Heh. Oh, and if you all didn't even contemplate CV notions, don't even put the thought in your head. XD It was just something I noticed while rereading. Lol. Hopefully I'll be able to update something tomorrow too, but no guarantees. Please review! I hope you had a lovely Halloween. ;)


	10. Press Rewind

A/N: Update! Yay! And in less than a week! Aren't you proud? ;) *sigh* You have no idea how much I want to start writing Never Again: A Chuck & Blair Story again…but no! I will stick to my list. Lol. *is too determined it's almost SICK* Anyways, enjoy! And please review! ;p

* * *

**Ch.10—Press Rewind**

_"B? Blair? B, come on. I think I lost you. Will you please just call me back?"_

_ "Blair, I think you didn't get my last message. Call me back."_

_ "B, you're starting to worry me. It's been over a half an hour since the call got dropped. Are you okay? Did something bad happen?"_

_ "Blair, if you don't call me back right now, I'm coming over there."_

The brunette sighed. She figured she should call her back. Besides, the last thing she wanted was a frantic Serena Van der Woodsen stomping over to her and Chuck's suite, determined to console the girl who—she would figure it out sooner or later—had intentionally hung up on her.

"S."

"Blair, are you alright?" she asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine. The call was simply dropped. That's it."

Silence. Serena was clearly skeptical, but said nothing of it.

"Are you going to the ball tonight?"

Silence.

"B?"

She sighed. "No, I don't think I'm going to," she ran a hand through her silken locks.

The blonde's eyebrows fused together. "But Chuck—"

"—is going with someone else."

Serena's lips parted. "B, are you su—"

She sighed, a little frustrated. "I'm positive. I just sent him off right now."

Silence. Blair knew she was beyond confused.

"Don't double think it, S. He's not on good terms with Jenny, so I just thought—"

"Jenny?" Serena gaped. "You sent him off with—"

"Yes, and why wouldn't I? Why is that so bad? It's not like he can really _do_ anything." She rolled her eyes and Serena gulped. _She should have known her best friend was still a little insecure from her comments, whether she declared to be or not_. "They're practically related now."

Silence. Serena didn't know _what_ to say. Anything she thought of could be taken the wrong way, especially by the way her best friend seemed to be taking things at the moment. So, she sighed.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"S, just because I don't have a date doesn't mean you don't. Aren't you going with—" she cut herself short. In her frustration with Chuck and Jenny and all the new information that held she had completely forgotten about what had just happened with Serena and Carter. Now there was just awkward silence.

Thankfully, Serena filled it only a few beats later. "Well, I think I'm going to go over. It is basically in our honor anyway—us alumni," she tried to joke, but the words cut Blair even deeper. It was in _their_ honor, _her_ honor, and her boyfriend was going to be seen on the arm of his soon to be stepsister _instead_ of _her_. _What would people think?_ No doubt there would be whispers amongst them, and she was sure one if not multiple pictures would be taken and sent to Gossip Girl. That was the last thing she wanted, even if that pathetic stalker _had_ appeared to remain hidden throughout the summer.

She felt about to crumble. "So, you're going to go see if you can find Dan or Nate then?"

Serena nodded, subtly to herself. It seemed neither of them could find the right words to say without wounding the other. "Yeah," she breathed, "Nate will probably be with Bree, the girl he's supposedly in a forbidden relationship with."

Blair rolled her eyes. _Though it was nice to have the attention off of her or Serena for a few moments. _"Smart of him to show her off then," she scoffed, sarcasm lacing every word she spoke.

Serena cleared her throat, clearing agreeing. "Yeah." She sighed, "There's Dan though…"

The brunette rolled her eyes. _Would the Brooklyn boy ever get out of their lives?_

"And I'm sure he's dateless," Blair cut in, "so at least you'll have a dancing partner."

Serena ignored the insult. "Are you sure you don't want me to come get you, B? I don't want you to be all alone there tonight, especially when you could be dancing the night away," she spoke in that airy fairytale tone she knew Blair loved, but it only drew a sigh out of the brunette.

"No thanks, S. The only person I want to be dancing with tonight is Chuck, and it would be rude of him to go dancing with anyone but his date." She was bitter, but would not let her best friend interrupt with her frustrated sigh. "Besides, I've got _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ on hold in the other room. I had to pause it right before you called. And I don't want to keep Audrey waiting, so if you don't mind…?" she left it open- ended instead of hanging up mid-Serena sentence like she had done before. She wouldn't want her best friend calling back a million times again. She rolled her eyes at the thought.

Serena nodded. "Okay B, but if you change your mind—"

"I'll let you know," she cut in, deciding not register the additional sigh coming from the voice on the other line. "Have fun, Serena." She forced a smile, hoping it would transfer to her voice for the almost-over call.

"I'll—"

_** Dial tone.**_

She sighed. _Blair really had to stop doing that to her._

The brunette tossed her phone on the bed and made for the living room. She hadn't planned on hanging up on Serena again, but their good-byes seemed to be never-ending and she couldn't stand the lingering emotions about to burst of both their parts. She had to forget about Chuck. She had to forget. Just until he got home. Or maybe the rest of the time. Maybe she would leave and go back to her own penthouse. She was sure Dorota would be happy to see her. If no one else ever was, she could count on her over-protective maid Dorota.

But no. She had promised—or rather maybe he had assumed—that she would stay up and wait for him.

Sigh.

She could text him now and inform him that she was going home, but then he'd _know_ something was up and he'd come back to her immediately. _Screw Jenny_, Blair was his highest priority. _Now how was she supposed to get around this? They were together now._ She couldn't say it wasn't his place. But at the same time she knew she was frustrating him by feeling the way she was feeling & acting the way she was acting, and it wasn't even over something he had done. She just kept feeling insecure. Everything had been fine again until he had said he was taking Jenny to this ball. Something in the pit of her stomach told her this was no accident. It wasn't just something casual. And obviously he would have taken her if he had known it was for _Constance/St. Judes_ _**alumni**_.

_God, she should've asked Serena._

She still could, she knew, but it would only cause more questions and troubling words from the girl who was wallowing in a broken heart herself. Quite honestly she didn't know why she was giving up Carter so soon to begin with. It wasn't like she or Chuck had approved of Humphrey.

She shook her head and collapsed onto the couch.

She knew he would've taken her…if he had known. He was so hesitant to take Little Humphrey from the start.

Sigh.

"I'm not insecure. I'm not insecure. I'm not insecure," she repeated countless times, turning her movie back on and keeping her eyes glued to the screen. _She wasn't going to do this. She wasn't going to get caught up in her fears, in this anxiety that she felt would never end—this sick feeling she could never seem to turn off._ It would be so twisted for Chuck to even go after Jenny regarding where they stood—their relationship. But she couldn't help thinking…

A tear slipped down the side of her face as she shut her eyes tightly.

_ Why is this so hard?!_

"Just _stop it_ Blair!" she commanded herself, growing truly aggravated by how this had all built up. _What would happen when something __**serious**__ broke out between them?_ "Stop it!" she whimpered, crawling into a ball along the lengthy sofa.

* * *

The ball room was beautiful, she had to admit. They had everything from ribbons to sparkles and the spotlights were perfectly positioned all about the room. The theme seemed to be a deep red, signifying the beginning of fall she guessed, but summer was still there and she didn't want to think what would happen in those first few weeks of September.

Her eyes searched through the crowd. She spotted Penelope at the head of the other mean girls. She was basically Blair Waldorf without a heart and Serena had never taken kindly to her. She was the bitchiest of the bunch. The only cold-hearted brunette she approved of was her best friend, Blair Waldorf, because she had seen her in her weaker moments: when she was crying over her father's sexual orientation, when that very fact had let to her parent's divorce and her father moving across the ocean to France, when bulimia took over her and her perfect image was seen as anything but in her own eyes. Plus, Blair took care of them. She took care of Nate and Serena and Chuck…

She sighed, texting Blair one more time. She was completely unconvinced that the Blair she knew was okay. She regretted beyond belief her comments to Blair some days after she had come back. If Chuck and Blair wanted to play their games, who was she to interfere? It was what they were best at, and if nothing had happened all summer, then nothing would. Chuck was madly in love with her best friend and she knew he would never intentionally hurt her, not while he was in his right mind.

But…

She shook her head, inwardly cursing herself for the thought. They had ended the game and Serena felt it was best, but the after effects were dreadful. She didn't know what it would take to bring Blair to the realization of her very faithful boyfriend. She was sure beyond any doubt that Blair's intensified, revived insecurities were bothering Blair as much, if not more, than they were bothering she and Chuck combined.

**Are you ok?**

** -S**

She sent the text to Blair, her worried sunken stomach bothering her more than any irritancy she would get from her best friend. She knew the brunette probably didn't want to see her, but there was no way she could possibly be okay with the current situation.

"No."

Her eyes widened, and slowly she turned around towards the voice she had just heard. An apologetic, sorrowful Carter Baizen was standing there, holding his phone up to where she could see his most recent text message. It seemed her fingers had slipped from B to C on her contacts list. And the C had not been Chuck Bass, it had been Carter Baizen. She sucked in a breath.

"Carter—"

"No, Serena."

Her lips snapped shut, keeping her eyes pinned to his own.

"I'm not okay."

She swallowed, closing her eyes. "It was a mistake."

His breathing grew ragged.

"The text," she clarified, carefully allowing her eyes to reach his gaze again. "It was a mistake. I meant it for Blair."

Silence filled the air and she honestly thought he hadn't planned what to say after that first attempt to win her back. It wasn't as if she would let him win her back, but maybe…_no. Don't think like that._

"But _I_ got it," he said suddenly, and she blinked, pulling herself out of the daze she had fallen into. He took another step closer to her.

"Carter—"

"No, Serena."

She sighed, realizing that their little dance had started over. She closed her eyes again when his hands brought hers together and held them.

"What?" she asked, trying hard to ignore how warm and at peace she felt when she heard her name fall from his lips.

"I miss you."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "You miss me?" she asked, a touch incredulous. He nodded subtly. "What does that _mean_?" she asked after a second. She had to be calm, mature, about this. She couldn't blow up in his face just because she was planning on saying _no_ from the start. He gestured to the tables off to the left, all decorated in satin and silk, and she nodded, granting him her consent. They would sit together and try to figure themselves out, though she was beyond sure he couldn't change her mind.

"What makes me different?" he asked, once they had gotten comfortable in their seats. It crossed his mind that she was more beautiful than he had ever seen her, but he supposed they were not at the sort of place where he could just lay that on her—he would probably have it thrown back in his face, negatively.

She sighed, playing with her fingers at the edge of the table, watching their intimate dance. "What makes you different…" she repeated, acting for a moment as if she didn't already know the answer. He said nothing and it made her wonder if he was going to spend the whole night making her speak. Her lips pursed together and her eyes finally looked up at him. "In general….or in comparison to someone else?" she raised her eyebrows, and it was as if he could read her mind.

_Dan._

"Both," he said, and she nodded, lowering her gaze another time.

"In general," she cleared her throat, "All the adults in my life love you, and all my friends and siblings hate you."

He looked at her, unable to prevent the hints of a smirk that crept up along his lips.

"And in comparison?" he cocked his head to the side. Her eyes lifted to his again.

"To who?" she asked, regardless of the image running through her head. Out of the corner of her eye she even saw him, talking with Vanessa, both in their evening wear. It occurred to her then how Vanessa had managed to get in, especially since beside her was a boy that she could only guess had not gone to _St. Judes_. Perhaps Dan had pulled some strings.

"You know who."

Her eyes focused back on him. Apparently she had turned her head a bit on dwelling just a little more on the Dan/Vanessa/Scott situation.

"Dan," she said, as if it had been obvious—on both of their minds, both daring the other to speak it first.

_"Serena, darling, this is Carter Baizen, your escort for tomorrow night." He smiled at her. "Do you two know each other?" her grandmother spoke on greeting, her face bright with enthusiasm._

_ Carter turned to the older woman. "Actually we used to go to school together. Just a couple years apart." _

_ "Oh," Cece commented softly, clearly enjoying that fact._

_ "Carter," he held his hand out to the brown-haired boy standing almost in front of him. _

_ "This is Daniel Humphrey," she informed him, scrutinizing his every move. _

_ The boy avoiding her gaze. "Dan, actually," he said, firmly shaking Carter's hand. _

_ "…Serena's friend," Cece said, still giving him a once-over._

_ "No, my boyfriend," Serena interjected. _

_ "Oh," Carter smiled, "nice to meet you man." _

_ "Nice to meet you," he returned."_

_ Serena beamed. _

"Dan's about to become my step-brother."

Carter's eyes flashed to hers, having sunken to a dreamy state at the memory he was sure they _both_ had remembered. She saw a small tinge of relief fall over them before he blinked it away, and strangely enough she felt the need to reassure him of no possibility of her and Dan again. _Family doesn't date family after all. That's just sick, even __**Chuck**__ agrees. _There was no reason to be jealous.

He raised his eyebrows, zoning in on the expressions of her face. "Why then, do you treat me so differently?"

Her eyebrows drew together, confused.

"Chuck and Blair _despised_ Dan, and I'm guessing he felt the same way. You didn't break up with _him_ because of those unlevel grounds."

She was silent.

He leaned across the table, careful to keep his closed hands a safe distance from hers, and looked into her eyes sincerely. "So I ask you, Serena, once again, what makes me different?"

* * *

"So…" Nate began, on finally managing his way out of Bree's freckled arms and over to Chuck who was lingering by the huge glass bowl of punch. "You having fun?"

Chuck kept his eyes pinned on Jenny across the room, chatting away with Eric and Jonathan. "Loads," he answered, briskly taking another gulp in of his drink.

Nate looked at him with almost confused eyes and then shook his head with a laugh. "Good, 'cause you definitely sound like it," his words dripped in sarcasm, but it went unbeknownst to his best friend.

"Thanks," Chuck turned to him, still keeping a careful eye on the laughing blonde across the way. Then he focused on Nate directly. "Were you by chance aware that this night included us…"

Nate raised his eyebrows.

"Alumni," he clarified.

"Oh!" the blonde realized, chuckling a bit. "Yeah, of course. I thought everyone did," he said, handing him a pamphlet from behind him that described the event. And sure enough, in big, bold letters:

**CONSTANCE & ST. JUDES ALUMNI BALL**

Chuck shook his head at the very blatant truth staring him in the face. He should have looked into it, or assumed at the very least. If Jenny could come with him…then surely he could have brought Blair. He even spotted Dan with Vanessa and some other guy that could not have belonged there—at _St. Judes_. He was clearly out of his mind when he didn't even consider Blair a possible prospect to take as his date.

"I'm…guessing you didn't know?" Nate asked, half a beat later.

Chuck turned to him and scoffed. "You're brilliant, you know?"

Nate pursed his lips, silencing his words for the moment. That was when he spotted Jenny across the room and came to the conclusion of Chuck's visual attention earlier. Eric had brought Jonathan, and Chuck had brought Jenny, but where was—?

"Blair."

"Yep."

"You didn't know, and so she—"

"—didn't know."

"And so you brought, you brought Jenny?" he asked, in almost complete shock.

Chuck held up his hand in a gesture. "I was doing a favor for Lily."

Nate shook his head, still being a bit unable to take this all in. "And Blair probably knows now too…" he contemplated, out loud.

The brunette's head turned in his direction. "How do you gather that?" His arms folded across his chest.

"Well, Serena's sitting there across the room," he pointed to where the blonde was in deep discussion with none other than Carter Baizen. Chuck scoffed just at having to look at the set-up.

"And?" he prompted, looking away now.

"And Serena _knew_. Who do you think she'd tell?"

Chuck's eyes widened.

He was silent for far too long and Nate was starting to get nervous when he saw tiny beads of sweat appear at the top of Chuck's forehead. It really looked like he was conflicted.

"Go get her, Chuck."

The boy's eyes snapped to his. "What? _Who?_"

"Blair," he rolled his eyes, wondering how he had become the smart one for the evening.

Realization swept over Chuck's face, but a torn expression replaced it. "I—I ca—"

"I'm sure Lily will understand," he said, almost laughing as he placed an arm around Chuck's shoulders.

"No, no," Chuck shook his head, pacing a bit and then finally coming to stand in front of his best friend whose eyes were showing extreme concern. Their eyes met. "I can't just abandon my little sister."

* * *

A/N: So, the last scene was a bit short, but I hope you didn't mind. ;) Please review! I'll try to get to QBfaR tonight, if not I will most definitely update it tomorrow. Thanks for reading! =D


	11. Frozen Craze

A/N: I have succumbed to writing. XD Please enjoy! It'll be my last piece before the episode, and you never know if oneshots will be inspired afterwards. ;D Heheh. Review!

*Btw, I have gotten the feeling from most of your reviews that you all think Chuck suddenly thinks more highly of Jenny than Blair, and that is most definitely not the case. Just have patience, lovelies. As much as I adore Jenny, Blair takes priority. ;) CB! Hehe.

* * *

**Ch.11—Frozen Craze**

The silky fabric of the dress clung to Vanessa's figure perfectly and she was glad she had decided to come. First it was just to see that Jenny didn't panic and act awkwardly throughout the night because she had Chuck as her date, but when Dan informed her it was actually for the alumni of the two joint schools she jumped at the opportunity to make Nate jealous. Of course he would be there. One call to Scott and they were on there. Dan wasn't going with anyone anyways, so she figured they could hitch a ride with him.

The smooth sounds coming from the music motivated Vanessa to pull Scott up with her and begin dancing. Not a minute later Nate was up with the red-headed girl she had seen with him before. The girl was beautiful but definitely confused as to what was going on. Nate and Vanessa were anything but subtle. They would look away to their dates on occasion to make it seem like they weren't doing anything out of the ordinary. That was hardly the case. Lucky for Scott, he actually knew what was going on. Dan shook his head at Bree from a distance. _Someone_ had to feel sorry for her.

"So, Scott," she giggled turning her backside to the blonde dancing across the room, "How does he look?" she asked, raising an eyebrow mischievously. The boy tried to look in Nate's direction inconspicuously, though it wasn't like the blonde would notice.

"He's definitely pissed," he concluded, smiling at her when he said it. Her wide grin was contagious.

"Twirl me," she whispered, leaning close. Scott sucked in a breath at her closeness and did as she requested. When he looked back over to where Nate and his partner were dancing, he noticed the seething look intensify.

"I think we're getting to him," he said, proud. She nodded, still smiling.

"Wonderful."

"Hey, Vanessa," his voice dropped into a serious tone.

"Hmm?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck as they moved slowly.

"Why aren't you two together?" he inclined his head towards the object of their torturous affection. Her lips parted and her eyes fell to the floor. She turned their bodies in the sway of the dance so that she wasn't facing Nate and so could still look into the distance without feeling some sort of pressure.

"It's…complicated," she forced. She didn't really know what to call them. They were on and off and she was crazy about him, but she didn't know what they were—never knew what they were unless they were dating.

"Ah, so it's one of those complicated relationships."

She giggled. "Yeah—"

"I'm a good listener, and…from the looks of it, he won't be saying at the other end of the dance floor all evening, so you better tell me quick."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, if you say so." She wanted to see if Nate appeared even more jealous than before, or if she had even been correct in him looking jealous to begin with, but now Scott wanted to know about them. That required remembering how it had all happened, not what was happening in the ballroom presently.

He smirked, waiting for her to begin.

"There was a problem regarding his family earlier in the year."

"Okay…"

"His family pressure him—make him do things he wouldn't normally do, and not for the better. We—him and I—had planned a back-packing trip for a month or so during the summer, and he reconsidered because his family decided he needed to do an internship with the mayor."

"Oh," he said, almost surprised.

"Yeah. This all happened at his grandfather's house, some sort of gathering they were having, and after this decision was announced to all the guests, I just left. A week later he was dating his ex-girlfriend again, only notifying me just before and breaking up with me so he wasn't officially cheating on me. Though, if you ask me, on an emotional level he was."

"Well, _yeah_."

She shook her head. "Anyways, things didn't work out with them—something about her being in love with his best friend…."

"Wow."

She laughed. "Yeah, the Upper East Side can get pretty twisted."

"I'll say," he said, nearly gaping.

"Anyways, the internship ended up not working out and when you first met up with us—"

"He was apologizing for ditching the trip and you reluctantly forgave him."

"Right," she nodded.

"He doesn't deserve you," he scoffed. Vanessa turned from looking over his shoulder to gazing into his eyes.

"Thanks," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "That's what Dan said too."

He smiled softly.

"Is this weird for you?" she asked suddenly. "Dancing and scheming with an almost complete stranger?" She tensed, and he shook his head a little, tightening his hold ever so slightly on her waist.

"No."

She bit her lip and decided not to ask him for more of an explanation, to expound on his answer. Come to think of it, she hadn't asked him much about anything since she met him. It had been all about her and she couldn't blame it all on Dan's forced reintroduction some weeks ago.

"Scott—"

"Shh," he cut her off gently, but she still raised her head and whispered.

"Is he still watching us?" Even as she asked she could feel the subtle barely-there shaking of his head.

"No, he went to get drinks for him and his girl I think." His eyebrows furrowed, searching for him across the room. "Oh, I found him. He's standing next to some brown-haired guy by the punch."

"Dan?" she asked, halting their feet and turning to look in the direction Scott was suggesting. "Oh."

"That's not Dan, is it?" he couldn't tell from the distance they were at. She sighed.

"No, it's not," she shook her head, gesturing to where Dan stood some distance away—still alone, though lingering nearer to the Eric/Jenny/Jonathan gathering. "It's Chuck Bass, Nate's best friend," she held her breath when Nate looked up to her, taking a break from listening to his tormented best friend. She gulped, and for all that she could feel Scott's gaze burning the side of her face, she could not look away. "…and Jenny's date."

* * *

"Dance with me," she said, holding out her hand to him as she stood to her feet. He watched her as she moved and couldn't break contact with her eyes if he tried.

"Why?" he asked. They hadn't really talked things out to completion, and she hadn't even attempted to answer his question.

"We've got history, Carter," she said, and took a step closer to him. His breath hitched a little at her closeness. "Dance with me."

She wanted to tell him he had never danced with her and he owed her that much, but that would be a lie. He had danced with her before…at Cotillion…almost two years earlier. And it would be a lie to say he hadn't.

_"…I'm so sorry. I know this is not what you signed up for," she laid the glass of scotch smooth against the side of his face._

_ "It's okay," he took the glass from her and held it in his hands, " It doesn't hurt nearly as bad as waking up that morning in Santorini, and finding you jumped on a boat."_

_ "Yeah, well…that night wasn't exactly what I signed up for either."_

He stood to his feet, and took the hand she had held out. "Only because you asked." She smiled softly, and he pulled her close before turning onto the dance floor. He could feel the intake of her breath grow short.

"Always the gentleman," she boasted with a playful air. He pulled her close again, begging her to _tell him_ as they began to sway to the music.

"I know this song is your favorite," he murmured close to her ear. She smiled again. "Don't stop dancing," he told her and she was confused but said nothing. "But I need you to tell me." She sighed.

"Carter—"

"Why am I different?"

"You're an Upper East Sider—"

"Serena."

"Chuck hates you—"

"Serena."

"You slept with Blair—"

He scoffed. "Seriously, Serena?"

"Well, I slept with Nate when they were dating and then you slept with her." She avoided his gaze.

"She wasn't cheating. She was unattached, and it was just to screw with Chuck."

"Hence the Chuck hating you." She stopped dancing, putting her hands on her hips and looking at the floor. "You know I think this dancing thing was a bad idea," she turned away from him but he caught her arm when she was almost off the dance floor.

"You always run!" she said, and he froze in his place, removing her arm from his grasp.

"Dan didn't run. Our lives just got complicated. _I_ only ran when I made a _huge_ mistake, and then I came back and fixed things. You come, you make a mistake, and you leave. Maybe this time your mistake was me."

"Ser—" his eyes widened. He would have never guessed this was the issue. She had seemed to be having an issue with dating him before because of his reputation as a womanizer, and how her friends thought of him, but this was different entirely and he figured he should have thought of it beforehand.

She crossed her arms across her chest. "You know," she sighed, "People have pointed out to me and I kind of see it too, how you and I are maybe a more intensified version of Chuck and Blair?"

He cringed, inwardly. The situation was far too serious to be getting into his feelings on the two brunettes. He just listened, his eyes searching her face.

"But Chuck never ran. And if he did, it was for a good reason. He left the country when his father _died_."

"Didn't he ditch Blair on their supposed to be Tuscany trip and then leave her for Europe when she had propositioned him for his…I love you again?"

She sighed. "My point is, it took them two years together and you're worse than he is. You think I can just accept you instantly?" her face looked in a panic, but he just watched her. She shook her head, looking to the floor. "And it doesn't really help that Chuck hates you." He sighed.

"Again with Chuck," he put a hand to his forehead, suddenly in realization of an approaching headache. She rolled her eyes.

"Why do you keep chasing after me Carter?" her eyes pleaded with him and suddenly his headache vanished. He took a step closer to her and lowered his voice.

"Because all my life I've done whatever I wanted to do, but I've never really known what that _was_. And now, for the first time, I know what I want. And it's _you_, Serena Van der Woodsen. It's you."

Her heart soared at what he said, but all her worries still crept in around her. Would he leave?

"I won't leave," he assured her. "I've already slept with Blair, what's the worst I could do?" he chuckled. She shook her head at him, but let him take her back to the dance floor.

"You're a piece of work, Carter Baizen," she said, but already she knew she had forgiven him for something he hadn't even really done—not that would end a relationship—and something he might not even do in the future.

He pulled her close once they had reached the center of the dance floor, kissing the curve of her neck softly. She shivered. "Do you remember over the summer?" he whispered. She smiled.

"You mean when you accidentally fell into the river and I had to go in to get you?"

He smirked. "Well, that wasn't the exact memory I was going to go with, but we can start there." She giggled.

"Is this a trip down memory lane?" she quirked an eyebrow, gasping when he spun her away from him and back without warning.

"If you can remember our almost kiss that night before we fell asleep," he whispered huskily.

"We didn't—you and me—we didn't, I don't remember, explain," she gave up, watching with as little embarrassment as possible as that smirk reappeared on his face. It briefly reminded her of how disgusted she would be when Blair told her of how much she loved that trademark smirk plastered on _her_ Chuck Bass's face. Now, she understood. That smirk sent tingles rushing through her, regardless of her current confusion.

"Well," he began, taking on a professional air, "you were exhausted from the day, mostly from saving me I'm guessing," she rolled her eyes, "and so when we finally got back to the suite later that night, you were almost asleep, and when I laid you down you told me to kiss you."

She gaped, her mind screaming _I did not! _

He shrugged, trying to keep the humor off his face. "So, I almost kissed you."

"_Why didn't you?_" she breathed, and the question alone sent his heart beating faster than he had ever imagined.

"You were drunk. In the morning, you wouldn't have remembered," he said sincerely.

Her lips parted as she searched his earnest eyes. She grabbed his face her hands and pulled him towards her, kissing him hard on the lips. _No more excuses._

* * *

He was going insane.

He wanted to stay for Jenny, he really just _did_. It was important to them as a family. He wanted to be on good terms with everybody, regardless of his sometimes heartless _I don't give a crap_ demeanor. But he couldn't imagine the hell Blair was probably going through. She had encouraged him to go with Jenny, because it was _just_ for high schoolers, but if Nate was right and she _had_ become aware of the actual intention of the ball…then there was no end to the thoughts that would be boiling in her recently _so_ insecure mind.

He took another swig of his punch and filled it up again. Nate had come and gone, confusion riding his entire expression, both from the game Vanessa appeared to be bluntly playing and the fact of his best friend staying for his _almost_ step-sister instead of running home to his girlfriend.

_In his defense, he had been calling and texting her non-stop since he had become aware of the situation. _

He sighed, his fingers clutching at the sides of the glass he held in his hand. _Jenny certainly didn't need him there. _The girls she soon would be ruling over had come over to talk to her from time to time, and now she was deep in conversation with Eric and Jonathan, who she had been deep in discussion with for most of the night.

Still…he had made a promise to Lily and a commitment to Jenny. He wouldn't leave unless she asked him to. And he couldn't believe he was being so stubborn about this and not just ditching the ball to be with Blair, but it was important to him. Family was important to him.

_"Do you really think I care if Lily kicks me out?"_

"_Yeah, I think you do._ _Because you lost Blair, and now she's dating your best friend. Therefore, the only human contact that you have that you don't __**pay**__**for**__ is the people in this house. But knowing you, you'll screw that up too."_

She had been right. Even if he _had_ finally gotten Blair, and _they_ were dating, family wasn't something he wanted to lose. And though him not taking Jenny to the dance would _hardly_ make him lose his family, it wasn't something he wanted to tamper with.

He felt the table shift a bit behind him and he turned to look at what had caused the abrupt movement, regretting the decision instantly.

"Humphrey," he scoffed, turning his attention back to the phone he held in his hand. Still no messages, no missed calls.

"Hey, Chuck," Dan focused his eyes on the punch he was pouring for himself. "What's new with you?" he joked sarcastically. Talking to Chuck Bass wasn't really something he ever wanted to do, but he had essentially nothing for the evening and figured insults were better than hardly any conversation all together.

"What are you doing here?" he spat, not even considering he may have simply come over to get a drink.

"Well, I was—"

"No, don't tell me. I don't care," he sighed harshly. Dan's eyebrows rose to the top of his forehead, but he kept his mouth shut for a few seconds more.

"Hey, where's Blair? Jenny told me you brought her, but I thought that was ridiculous since _obviously_ you would bring Bla—"

Chuck's glare halted his sentence. He gulped. He wasn't completely sure if the evil shooting from his eyes was more directed towards the matter of his sentence or the fact that he was speaking period, but he gathered it was probably a good combination of both.

"Wait," he began again, trying to keep his composure, "did you _willingly_ choose _Jenny_ over _Blair_?" Even out loud it sounded impossible. Chuck sighed harshly and turned his face back to his phone, sending Blair the same repeat text he had been sending and re-sending over the last hour. "Okay, obviously not…" Dan's eyes widened. He was quickly growing annoyed by Chuck's subdued actions. Then, an idea occurred to him. "Did you not know the dance was for alumni?"

"You are _brilliant_, Humphrey." He took another sip of his punch, staring hard at the phone. "You should go into politics." Dan ignored the comment.

"Well…go _get_ her," he said, like it was the most obvious point in the world. Chuck's eyes flashed to his and he stalked away, hoping he could find amusement in the whole Nate/Bree/Vanessa/Scott play. It was officially _more_ annoying hearing the same advice being repeated to him by _Dan Humphrey_. _What did he know anyways?_

Dan looked taken aback, but resorted to moving slowly around the refreshments table, hoping to not look like too much of _the outsider_.

_Probably failing_, he mused.

Chuck paced in the small hallway outside the large ballroom, his eyes pinned to his phone, only looking up on occasion so as to not run into something. Somewhere in between walking in the room and planning to be amused by Nate and Vanessa's game that honestly looked pathetic compared to something he and Blair would do, he nearly went out of his mind in anguish. Of course this had been the case all night, but when he finally caught sight of the couples dancing on the floor it reminded him of all the times he's danced with Blair and how they didn't dance at prom and how much he had wanted to.

He was almost out the door when he caught Jenny's gaze for a fraction of a second across the room. He released his hold on the door handle, sighed, and began leaving messages on Blair's phone again.

"Blair, it's me, are you okay? Have you talked to Serena?" he sighed, "Please call me back. I'm worried about you."

Click.

Five minutes later.

"Waldorf, answer your phone. I know maybe you want me to enjoy the night with soon-to-be little step-sis, but please…I miss you," his voice lowered, hoping it would get a thrill out of her and she would call back.

He sighed.

She hadn't responded.

He returned to pacing, eyes pinned to his phone again, growing angry when the screen didn't stay and decided to turn black.

**1 NEW TEXT.**

His eyes widened at the bold text and he was beyond relieved when he heard that merry little tune exit his phone. His face fell into a deep frown when he opened the message. He growled.

**Where are you, man?**

**-N**

His hand fisted and clenched at the side of the phone. He exited the screen and continued to pace. _Not the time, Archibald._

* * *

"You better go over there and tell him."

Jonathan nodded his head beside him, his eyes widening at the sight of Chuck Bass pacing in the distant hallway. Jenny sighed halfheartedly, becoming somewhat disturbed at the sight as well.

"He's going _crazy_," Eric emphasized.

"Yeah, I guess this is," her eyebrows furrowed in more horror as she thought she almost pictured Chuck banging his head against the wall, "Chuck without…Blair?" She turned to see Eric and Jonathan staring at her head-on, almost glaring. "Well, what am _I_ supposed to do?! He's _Chuck Bass_. Not even _I _can hold him back to running off to his _sweetheart_," she rolled her eyes. "Besides it was _his_ idea. He didn't _have_ to bring me."

Eric and Jonathan sighed, quite frustrated by the blonde's attempts to resist confronting the Bass heir. They each looped an arm through hers and led her along closer to where he was.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked, very cautious. Her heart beat a little faster at the thought that they were going to force her into confronting Chuck Bass, especially at his current crazed state.

"Jenny, he's still here because of _you_. He hasn't forgotten what you told him earlier this year."

Her eyes flashed to Eric's in a way that spoke unbelief.

"I told you he owed you and I wasn't lying. Chuck knows he owes you and he's trying to make it up to you, to show you how grateful he is. Plus, he's doing a favor for Lily. She suggested the whole interaction between you two. I'm guessing she's pretty aware of your avoidance of each other as well."

She blinked.

"Well, I think it was pretty obvious that Lily would coerce him into something like this." She was going to scoff, but the two boys beside her held such serious expressions. It would seem forced if she tried to joke again so soon.

"Jenny—"

"Eric, no."

The two boys dropped their arms from hers and she settled herself into a crossed arm position. Eric and Jonathan sighed. "Family is very important to him, Jenny," Eric said. "He's not going to leave unless you tell him it's okay with you."

Her eyes flashed to his again. "I don't believe you. He shouldn't need my permission. He's eighteen! And so…_him_," she gestured in Chuck's direction.

"You guys aren't even talking or dancing or _anything_," Jonathan pointed out. Her lips parted, but she made as if it meant nothing.

"Exactly," she agreed. "He has no reason to stay here," she insisted.

Instead of a frustrated sigh or the denial of her supposed convictions, which Jenny had expected him to do he was sure, he analyzed her words a bit and his eyes widened at a sudden conclusion. "You don't want him to leave."

Her eyes widened then too. "What?! Eric, are you on something? I do not think that highly of Chuck Bass, and as Jonathan just said, we aren't _doing anything_."

The two boys shared a knowing look and turned to stand in front of her instead of at her sides. They looked at her intently. "Did the two of you share a conversation on the way over here?" Jonathan asked.

"What? Uh, on the way over? No, I don't think so. It was just, you know, whatever," she shrugged, avoiding both their eyes the whole time.

_His eyes drank her in, and he opened the door to the limo open for her, sliding in after she had done so. Uncomfortably, she scooted as far across the seat as she could. She hadn't been this close to Chuck Bass in over a year. _

"_My, my," he said, ignoring her very palpable nervousness. "You exceed even my expectations." She blushed softly, and he smiled. His little sister was adorable._

"_Yes, well, I'm going to be queen after all, I had to make myself presentable," she looked up at him, cocky expression melting against her face. He smirked._

"_I believe it runs in the family," he commented, his eyes gazing over her face and the very demeanor she held._

"_What are you talking about?" she asked, trying not to sound too confused._

"_Your cocky confidence," he said, pouring himself a glass of scotch and tasting its gloriously familiar flavor. He raised his glass to her just beforehand. "It's a Bass trait," his smirk widened a bit, and yet still the glass halted before reaching his lips. Now he was smiling. "And well, a Waldorf one too." Now, he drank, and Jenny lessened her crude behavior. He was admirable to watch too—especially while talking about said Blair Waldorf. _

"_I'm a Humphrey," she insisted. This time though, it was playful. His smirk was still in place._

"_Humphrey-Bass."_

_Her lips curved into a smile, but she wouldn't succumb to his charm. She was only doing this because she had to, she decided. After tonight they would be nonexistent to each other again, and perhaps that really was best for everybody._

And that wasn't even the half of it.

"Jenny!" Eric snapped his fingers in front of her face. She huffed, giving in. The two boys were starting to give her a headache anyways.

"Fine, I'll go talk to him! Jeez, guys," she rolled her eyes, walking towards that far hallway where Chuck Bass was once again losing his mind over Blair Waldorf.

"We weren't too rough, were we?" Jonathan asked, watching as she trudged off.

"I didn't think so," Eric responded, his eyebrows fusing at the way Jenny had conceded.

"_By the way, Jenny," he said. Her face turned to his, having been glued to the sights outside the limo's tinted windows. "I really am sorry for what I did to you that night…at the Kiss on the Lips party."_

_Her eyes widened and she gulped. His apology had been sincere before and even though Eric had brought up the fact that Chuck owed her, she honestly didn't think he would even remember their conversation. Even if he did, why would he apologize again? "You don't have to apologize, Chuck. And you don't have to move out of the penthouse either," she offered a small smile and he took it for what it was._

"_Thanks, but as I'm sure you're already aware, Blair and I have been spending lots of time together…at my own place—at our place."_

_She just sat and smiled at him. For the first time in almost as long as she had known him, she approved of Chuck Bass and his thoughts, and his actions._

"_You're really good for her," she said suddenly, hardly aware of the words coming out of her mouth. His lips parted._

"_Thanks," he said, softly, and she looked away, pretending not to hear when he admired her as his new little sister. Not even 'step' sister. Like blood. _

_And she hated that she loved it, hated that what she had considered wanting was transforming and would probably end before the night really begun. _

_God, she hated Chuck Bass._

* * *

A/N: Yay! It's done! *claps* Lol. Please don't hate Jenny. XD She doesn't hate Chuck at the end, she just feels lame for wanting to feel a sibling closeness with him to begin with. Though I'm pretty sure most of you just hate Vanessa and Jenny to begin with. *rolls eyes* Anyways, ONWARDS! Lol. The episode is soon! Be sure to luck for my episode response at the top of my profile when it's done! ;D If I am not inspired to write one-shots from tonight's episode, I will be updating QBR in the next couple days. Thanks for reading! ;p


	12. Two Kinds of Love

A/N: Yay, an update. Okay, so this story's almost done. If I don't finish it this weekend, I'll most definitely have it done by next week—early next week, if I can help it. A lot of you are still concerned over CJ, but don't be. Just be a little patient. I know what I'm doing. ;)

*Disclaimer: I **don't **own "Gossip Girl"

* * *

**Ch.12—Two Kinds of Love**

The walk from five feet away to the actual hallway felt like an eternity. _What was she supposed to do? Just tell Chuck to go home to his girlfriend? This could be her last chance for something real with him!_ Then, all her brothers she would get along with—not just direct relations or previously joined friends.

She cleared her throat. "Chuck."

He stopped pacing immediately and turned to her, preparing to yell and curse at whatever scoundrel had decided he needed to take a moment away from his frantic back and forth motion to Blair's whereabouts and feelings. But when he saw the petite blonde in front of him, he straightened a little and then relaxed his position, dropping the phone into his pocket and sticking his hand in with it. The phone was on vibrate, he would feel it if someone was calling in—_and that someone better be Blair Waldorf_, he thought, still irritated at his best friend's prior interruptions.

"Jenny," he nodded to her, and she offered up a small smile. "Can I do something for you?"

_A dance?_

She blocked the thought from her mind. He wasn't hers to take, brother or otherwise. And she definitely would never in a million years want otherwise…but just for a fraction of a second…

"Uh, I…well," she laughed awkwardly. His eyebrows narrowed, amused at her attempt at conversation.

"You know, there _is_ some punch over there," he pointed in the direction of where the beverage sat. "I think it may even be spiked." He smirked; the distraction was just what he needed for the moment. He had been going insane all night and now it had lessened, if only a little. He noticed how her eyes widened briefly and it reminded him of how innocent she still was, regardless of her occasional bitchy behavior bursting through.

"No, I don't want—I mean, I had so—" she noticed the smile widen across his face. She looked away. "That's not it," she concluded and his face fell into a bit of a frown.

"Well then, what is it?" he took a step closer to her, still leaning his arm against the wall. Jenny looked to the ceiling and exhaled a long, deep breath. She could feel Chuck's analyzing eyes penetrating the thin layer of flawless skin pasted across her face. Her mind was screaming at her to just make a decision. She didn't know why she had suddenly had the need to 'bond' with Chuck. He had Blair anyways. He didn't need another sister, and certainly it wouldn't be the end of the world if they never got along. He had almost raped her anyways. She could always take back the forgiveness she had granted him, even if he wasn't aware of her feelings. Besides, Dan was her _real_ brother. Surely, she could just dance with his lonesome self.

"Cat got your tongue?" he was still smirking, and she shook her head, chuckling a bit. She had gotten too lost in her thoughts once again and she could not curse herself enough for it, for over-thinking the situation. She was almost completely convinced now that whatever Eric and Jonathan had insisted on was not the case, not about Chuck caring for her and especially not about him needing her 'permission' to leave for Blair.

"Go home, Chuck," she said sincerely, though it seemed more of a demand. His eyebrows fused.

"What?" he asked, a touch of anger in his voice.

"Go home. Go to Blair, or bring her here, whichever."

His lips parted.

"You're miserable. I can tell, Eric and Jonathan and Nate and whoever else has even seen a glimpse of you tonight…can tell."

"And you think it's your duty to come over and tell me this? You don't think I could make the decision well enough on my own?" He was getting testy, and she was seriously starting to regret coming over here. In fact, she was well prepared to pummel Eric and Jonathan for their crazy assumptions. Her eyes closed in this knowing anguish.

"No, I don't. I think you should have made the decision the second you found out Blair wasn't going to be here, three hours ago." She turned to walk away, setting her mindset to the wrath she would throw onto Eric and Jonathan on exiting the hallway.

"Jenny, wait," he sighed, and she stopped, if only for her stupid weakness to be closer to him. But she didn't turn around. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I know," she turned back towards him, swallowing hard. She didn't know though. She didn't know what the heck she was saying or why she was saying it.

"I just…" he ran a hand through his hair. "I want to stay for you." Her eyes flicked to his. "I want us to…work…as siblings, you know?" She nodded, trying to accept his words, feeling the weight of their meaning would be lightened the second after he left that ballroom. "But," he gulped, his eyes straining to focus into some calm, sophisticated demeanor. "I miss her."

She offered a small smile. "Then, g—"

And it was as if he hadn't even heard her. "I know she must be going out of her mind with grief and jealousy and falling into this insecurity and depression all over again," he sighed, sliding onto the counter a few paces behind him. Jenny followed, though leaving a safe distance between them. "I didn't know how to help her anymore. She's so fragile now. She got swept up in this notion that I was going to cheat on her sooner or later, and even when it was dismissed and she settled back into her happy ways…well," he scoffed. "Then there was this," he gestured between the two of them.

Jenny's eyes widened. "She can't seriously be thinking something would really happen to us, can she?" An ocean of worry stretched across her face. She should have known the trickery Blair showed to her earlier was all a cover-up for the insecurity she was trying to overcome.

Chuck shook his head. "I didn't think so, especially since we're practically siblings now." Jenny looked away, the word _sibling_ scaring her to death. She tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder, having sat down a safe distance beside him on the counter top.

"You have to go to her, Chuck," she insisted, softly but strong. His eyes flicked to hers, complete conflict riding in them and it tore her apart that she was half the cause for it. She wasn't that girl some days before that was dreading her 'date' with Chuck Bass. Now she was his almost step-sister and she wanted to be with him. But she had an idea of what it was to be in love, and Chuck Bass was in love with Blair Waldorf, and it was the kind of love you don't run into everyday. It was epic. "I'll be alright."

He still searched her eyes for something more.

"We'll be alright."

He took a small breath and released it, but then accepted her words for what they were and stood to her feet. "You know, I never pictured us like this," he said, starting to walk down the hallway towards the front door. She chuckled at what he said, following suit and walking with him.

"Neither did I," she shook her head at the concept.

"And I'm not going to be that guy, Jenny," he said, not much of an explanation playing at the edge of his lips. Her eyebrows fused, and she hoped beyond all hope he would explain himself. "I'm not going to be that almost brother that you despise but now want to be close to and won't let you in."

Her eyes widened, wondering how he'd known. She thought he could only read _Blair_ so easily. _Coincidence_, she thought.

"I'm not going to pretend tonight didn't happen."

"We didn't _do_ anything, Chuck."

"Yeah, we did," he said and it made her stop, made them both stop.

"Nothing Blair could get jealous over!" she insisted, panicking at the thought. She didn't need an emo Chuck and a pissy troubled Blair on her hands.

"No," he shook his head, smiling, "I know."

Her lips parted.

_I forgive you._

He walked again, approaching the door, but she could not force her feet to move. She wanted to tell him and felt there was so much more to be said…_but maybe this was enough?_

"Chuck," she began. He turned towards her.

"I know."

The door shut.

* * *

"Blair! Blair! Blair!"

He was frantic, and he didn't care. All he thought about on the way back was her and how much she must be hurting and regardless of his family issues, how he should have left on instant notification of her lack of being there and how she should have been. He was blinded by the need to mend his relationship with Jenny, but in the end he was at peace with that, and he was grateful for it. He just hoped he could be at peace with this. He hoped Blair Waldorf was alright and hadn't crumbled to pieces again. All he wanted was her. All he would ever want was her, and the sight of tears on her face broke him into shreds.

He stormed the suite, searching for her and coming up blank everywhere he looked. The last place he hadn't looked, and really should've looked in the first place, was where she emerged from. His bedroom—_their_ bedroom. Even from a distance he could see the tear tracks stained on the cheeks of her face.

"Chuck! What are y—"

Hard, passionate, demanding kiss, and he couldn't stop. Her lips tasted so magnificent, and the curves of her body felt so wonderful beneath his hands. He couldn't get enough of her and he never want the moment to end. The thrill of having her arms wrap around his neck and her hands intertwine with his silky locks was the most glorious feeling of the evening. She pressed up against him and moaned, sighed into him, only pulling away when the need to understand why this had happened would not rest.

"Chuck," she nearly whispered, breathing heavily into his sweating shoulder. His jacket needed off. Now. But first she needed an explanation. She couldn't stop to relieve him of his clothing, even just some of it. The rest would come too soon afterwards.

"Blair," he breathed, his chest moving almost violently up and down, his heart racing a million miles a minute. It was so amazing feeling her in his arms again, feeling her body pressed warmly, desperately, against his own. Her forehead lingered on his, and her lips so close pained him not to touch.

"Blair," he groaned, his pants growing tight and her need for her greater than he felt it had ever been. When he backed his head away just a touch though, he softened for her pleading eyes. "I didn't know it was for alumni, for us. I tried to call you but—"

She bit her bottom lip softly. "I turned off my phone."

His eyebrows furrowed. "But—"

She shook her head. "Serena was worried about me. She called saying she had broken up with Carter but was still going to the dance. She was sobbing but…could tell when my tone changed, and even more so when I hung up on her," she rolled her eyes at her previous antics. Chuck listened intently. "She called back again and I was pretty sure we settled things well enough, but just in case, I turned my phone off. I didn't want her to waste her night on worrying about me." She paused. "I left that to Audrey Hepburn."

He smirked, and leaned forward to kiss her again. "And how did she do? In helping you I mean."

"Mmm," she moaned, deepening the kiss a little, and then pulling away again. He released a small sigh. "Well, she didn't taste nearly as good as you." She nuzzled her face against his. He chuckled, then reared his head back."

"Wait, you _tasted_ her?" his eyes widened in mock-surprise. "And I _missed_ it?!"

She giggled, shaking her head at him, and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck in order to pull him closer. She kissed his full lips again and rested her head on the side of his own. "_God_, I've missed you, Chuck Bass."

He sighed contently, breathing warm air against her neck. It felt _so_ good to feel her like this and he never wanted to let go. "I've always been here."

She moaned against him. It was quiet and small but he heard it, just like he heard everything about her. Every feeling and emotion and thought and word. But sounds he could hear most, because he could feel them the loudest.

"What?" he asked softly.

"Why did you leave?" Her voice sounded so weak.

"You told me to go to the party…"

"No, no," she shook her head. "Why'd you come back?" She pulled back just enough to look deep into his eyes.

"I—" he sighed, tucking a strand of her beautiful brown curls behind her ear. He knew she didn't want a cheesy, romantic answer, however truthful it may have been in its almost generalities. "I had a talk with Jenny, and…we're okay."

She blinked, her eyebrows coming together in confusion.

"That's why I wasn't home sooner. I was conflicted. When she told me we were alright, that my family wasn't divided, if only by a little, the decision was easy."

Her lips turned up into a hint of a smile.

"And what was that decision, Bass?" she asked, bringing her face the closest to his she could manage. His breathing heightened.

"_You_, Blair Waldorf. All you."

She pulled him to her by the collar of his jacket and passionately kissed him. He wasted no time in responding full force with his tongue, teeth and lips. His hands roamed over her body desperately, grasping, grabbing, rubbing, clenching. In a rush she pushed his jacket off of him and loosened the tie about his neck, jumping from her stance on the floor to a tight wrap around his waist.

Nearly bumping into the wall, he stumbled into the bedroom, finding it incredibly hard to concentrate with Blair still completely clothed and rubbing against him. His memory even fell in and out as to where the condom exactly was. He groaned into her as her lips lowered to his neck and she dropped one of her hands from around it to unbutton his shirt. He was gasping for air and it sent shivers up her spine.

"Can you handle me, Bass?" she murmured against his skin. He couldn't even speak, just shook his head subtly, hoping a witty comeback would find its way to his lips in the next few moments…or afterwards.

_Probably afterwards._

After all, if anybody could handle Blair Waldorf it was Chuck Bass.

With a loud thump the two fell onto the bed, and now Chuck was grateful his pants had not been yet removed because of the deposit of a much-needed object in the pocket of them. He grabbed hold of it and lowered his lips to the crevice between her neck and shoulder as she unbuckled his belt and slid his pants down the now sweating skin of his lower body.

He groaned into her, grateful that she was already in her nightwear and had so little to dispose of. Her luxurious curls fell across his face and he hardly felt worthy of this beautiful angel he got to call his own. He felt her nails start to scratch against his back and her teeth pin themselves against his now bare shoulders. _God, she felt amazing._

Before either of them knew it, he was pounding into her and both were screaming out each other's names in pure ecstasy. They felt each other. In the midst of cries and grunting and near indecipherable love confessions. Heart and soul and body and spirit. And she felt no insecurity. She was just whole, and he was just hers.

_This_ was Heaven. Just him. Just her. Just _this_. Forever.

* * *

A/N: Ok, so I had another scene in mind, but I just felt like this second scene was just so intense and should be the one that ends the chapter. *nods* It was just NV anyways, and as much as I love them, I can so easily combine the scene I had planned for them in this chapter with their scene in the next. ;p Please review! There's only one chapter left and then an epilogue. I hope you've loved it! ;D


	13. Spicy, Sour Sweetness

A/N: Last chapter. Yes, you heard it. This story is finally coming to a close (some of you are grateful, methinks). There will be an epilogue though, so stick around for that if you want. A lot of you, or at least a good bunch seem to be really disappointed with how I played out the whole CJB scenario, and I am just here to say that I didn't force you to keep reading, so it's all on your own that you ran into what happened. With that said, onward! Please review! ;p

* * *

**Ch.13—Spicy, Sour Sweetness**

"Yes," she said.

His eyebrows fused. "Hmm?" he asked turning his head ever so slightly to press against her face. They had truly exhausted themselves and had only over the last five minutes regained normal breathing patterns. Her face was wet, slick, just like his own. But her eyes danced for him and the butterflies multiplied.

"You were supposed to say _yes_, Bass." She pursed her lips and he found it adorable, but he was still so very confused.

"Uh…" he chuckled unsuredly. "Usually, Waldorf, I can read you so well—"

"Handling me…?" she encouraged, hoping the hint would clear his mind and help it refocus. A smug smirk and dirty eyes zoned in on her though and her stomach fluttered. This wasn't exactly where she thought the redirecting would lead to.

"Oh yes, I liked that very much," he purred, finding the crevice behind her ear and kissing it, nuzzling it. Chills ran up her spine.

"Chuck," she restrained a cry, grasping to his back with the tips of her nails. He pulled her closer and her heat up against him sent them both whirling.

"Ooo," he whispered, hot against her ear, "a _new_ set of scratch marks on my back." Her lips lifted into a smirk, regardless of the new intoxicated atmosphere.

"Chuck…" she murmured, allowing her head to fall against his face. She felt the smile on his lips and the heat radiating from his eyes and she was more than willing to repeat the previously participated action. "…we missed the dance," she sighed suddenly, and he halted his actions, having started to run his hands down the curve of her hip and waist.

"I'm sorry," he swallowed hard, not even considering taking her back. Not once they had made up at least. The dance had to be over by now, or nearly so. Regret and guilt sunk into him and his head fell into the pillow her head lie upon. "I just wanted _you_."

Her heart fluttered at the sentiment and she turned his head towards her and nuzzled it. "I love you, Chuck Bass." She smiled softly. "There will be other dances." He nodded, still disappointed in himself but nearly forgetting what had happened all together when she kissed the side of his face and then continued kissing down his neck, across his chest and below.

"Blair," he sucked in a breath. She smirked, almost disappointed when he brought her back up to look at him.

"Yes, _Chuck_?" she looked at him with a seductive air and he nearly fell into a different dimension. So was the effect of Blair Waldorf on Chuck Bass.

"Are you sure you're not upset?"

Her eyebrows furrowed and she brought her arm to drape around his waist.

"About what? I've got you here, don't I?" She bit her bottom lip and looked longingly at his. He swore he forgot how to breathe all together right then.

"Blair," he gulped. Her eyes flicked to him innocently. "Blair," he cleared his throat, forcing the lust out of his own eyes and looking at her in a serious air. She attempted the same action when she saw how serious he had become. She shifted a bit and forced the normal tone back into her voice.

"About what?" she asked sincerely.

"About Jenny," he specified. "Doesn't it bother you that I stayed at the dance so long? That I didn't come home to you right away? Because I don't want you to think that I think…less of you…than Jenny Humphrey, I mean—"

She had turned over from her side to her back and covered her nude body completely over with the soft, billowy blankets. To be honest, she hadn't even really thought about it. She was just glad when he came back. And he had explained it all to her, how he needed to stay to fix things with his family, to fix what he thought was so broken. In the moment she wasn't even jealous. He had come back for her.

"_Everywhere I went, you caught up with me. So I had to come back."_

She breathed evenly and then turned to look at him, taking comfort in his sincere brown eyes. He wanted her to be okay. He really did. He had been so pained by how much she had been hurting.

She propped herself up on her elbow, and leaned forward to press her lips evenly and sweet against his own. Then she pulled back just a little to look him in the eyes, his still searching hopeful eyes.

"I'm okay," she said, and he eased a little. She cupped his face and leaned her forehead against him. She didn't know how the situation had turned sentimental from the heat they had revived again from a few simple words, but she was glad for it. Granted the other course of action would have been lovely as well, but he needed to hear this and she wanted to tell him.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Her eyes lit up, and she nodded.

"I'm sure, Chuck Bass. You took Jenny to the ball and you came back for me. You didn't even dance with her." He hadn't filled her in on that, but it was what she had concluded. Strangely enough though, she didn't even have a fear that he had. She couldn't even force herself to feel jealous at the sight of them dancing. It was sweet to her, she thought.

A guilt surrounded him though. He _hadn't_ danced with her. So absorbed were his thoughts in staying for Jenny and going home to Blair. But no action even entered his mind except to go home to his beautiful brunette.

"There will be other dances," she repeated. And then moving her mouth to his ear, she whispered. "If nothing else, you can always dance with her at her wedding." He smirked, and then leaned forward to press a kiss to her collarbone.

"I love you," he said, pulling her to him.

"I love you too," her eyes fluttered shut, as she felt his roving hands move slowly, softly across her body. The heat was building again. Before losing complete sanity again though, she remembered back to all the things that had made her feel insecure before. From what Serena had said and everything following; she suddenly felt very secure in her relationship. More than she had before, when she thought everything was alright. She had tested it now, and it was strong, stronger than she had even imagined it _could_ be.

A man like this would not cheat on her. He would not even think it. And everything he had said over the last few weeks and the entire summer was all _her_. He loved her, he was faithful to her, and this time…she really believed it would stay that way. She knew it wouldn't change, _he_ wouldn't change. Not in that way. Chuck Bass belonged to her, and _everyone_ knew it. There was not a doubt in her mind.

* * *

Scott had drifted to the punch bowl where Dan seemed to still be hovering. _She really felt bad for the guy—for both of them actually. One had no date and was essentially bored out of his mind, the other was playing the jealousy game with her and what was his reward? The sweet content at seeing her reach her goal? _

She sighed. Regardless, now she was alone on the dance floor. The song had been over for a minute or two, and Scott had said he was getting drinks for them, but she had a feeling that was just an excuse he was using. He seemed so certain that Nate would just come over and apologize and ditch Bree on the spot, but Vanessa wasn't buying it. She was just glad he hadn't left her in the middle of the dance floor. She was safely off to the side, almost.

Surprisingly enough though, she looked up and found Nate walking towards her. _Where was Bree? _She wondered. She couldn't find her anywhere, but in all honesty she wasn't trying that hard. All she could see was those baby blue eyes, and the way his sandy blonde bangs fell in his face.

"Can we..?" he gestured towards a table some feet away, and she conceded with a nod of her head. He pulled out the chair for her and pushed it in when she sat. He moved around to sit across from her and folded his hands in front of him on the table.

"Thanks," she said quietly. His eyes looked up at her hopefully and suddenly she didn't know why. "For the chair, for pulling and…pushing," her eyes avoided his awkwardly. He smiled a bit.

"Of course."

"Nate…" she sighed, overcoming her awkwardness, "we need to talk."

He swallowed hard and met her penetrating eyes when they looked up at him. "What was that out on the dance floor?" he nearly whispered.

She didn't even blink. "I think you know, Nate. You were doing the same thing."

"I didn't start it though."

She looked down at the table. "You still participated."

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Vanessa—"

"Nate, you really hurt me." Her voice was strained. "I put on a calm, happy face and I forgave you when you came around and apologized. I tried to forget about you, about us, even when we were backpacking in Europe over the summer, but—"

He nodded. "I know."

"And you said we'd be friends!" she declared, suddenly getting very angry. _It was better than crying over her broken heart. _

He was silent.

"But you moved on," she swallowed hard. He shook his head softly.

"No."

Her now teary eyes looked up at him. It seemed she could not prevent her watering eyes. "Then…"

"I was _trying_ to."

Her lips pursed.

"I treated you awfully, and…I didn't want to put you through any more pain."

She stood to her feet. "You did put me through a lot of pain, Nate." He stood after her and walked around table to where she stood. "But I loved you…and I _still_ love you."

_"I've never felt this way about anyone…never."_

His eyes widened and he exhaled, hoping he could use well the words that she gave him. All summer had been hell without her, and he had definitely felt her restraint during their time in Europe. The few times they had slept together had been a release for him, and in those moments he had been unable to forget how beautiful and perfect they had been together. If he didn't work with Blair once, it made him wonder how he had thought they'd work again. _There __**was**__ such a thing as just helping a friend in need… _

"I don't wanna let that go."

_ "I didn't…want you to go…"_

"So," she chuckled softly, "I was…trying to make you jealous."

He smiled. "Well," he leaned forward, "It was working."

She smirked. "And Bree?"

"She's great," he said. She raised her eyebrows in amusement. _Was he trying to win her over or express his blooming feelings for the red-head who he was now calling his girlfriend? _"She's gorgeous. Funny, intelligent—"

"Nate," she stopped him, sitting down again and his face flushed, following her actions. "What are you doing?"

A soft slip passed through his lips. "I'm trying to make you understand."

Her eyebrows furrowed. She was beyond confused, and crossed her arms across her chest, leaning back in her chair. He sighed.

"Any guy…if he tries hard enough…can find that beautiful, intelligent, funny girl, but…if they're not over somewhere else, it won't ever be enough."

Her lips parted and she leaned forward again. Her arms leveled on the table and her folded hands were almost touching his own. "What are you saying?" she asked.

"I ended things horribly with you, Vanessa." Her eyes searched his. "But I want to make it up to you," he rubbed his thumb softly on the back of her hand. "The only reason I avoided you as a friend…was because I wasn't over you. As soon as we got back from the trip I sought out a girlfriend. We hadn't decided to date again in that month, so I figured you didn't feel the same way as I did—as I currently do." He gulped. "And I didn't—I don't—blame you. I ended things horribly and—"

In a rush, without thought and pure of feeling, she stretched the rest of the distance over the small table and kissed him. He breathed her in and stood to his feet, kissing her. She brought herself up with him and continued to respond, tears streaming down her face. "Four months," she breathed, "and I still can't get over you."

His forehead leaned against hers. He chuckled. "Welcome to the club, V." Her smile spread and she wrapped her arms around his waist. She didn't know what this was, and neither did he. He had to prove himself to her, prove he was worth it, and after a time he would tell her he loved her. Baby steps though.

Jealousy gone, an ease of heart, and a smile on her face—those dimples he couldn't get enough of. He hadn't felt this good all summer. His heart was racing. This beginning felt _good_.

* * *

It was even harder to walk back from that hallway than it had been when she had walked down it an hour ago. The dance was going to end most likely in the next twenty minutes, and she still hadn't danced with anyone. She had stood around and on occasion swayed in place, but no guy had come up to her and wanted to dance. _Chuck had left, and Dan…well, she supposed she would ask him. Though even that made her nervous. What was wrong with her?_

"Jenny."

She straightened immediately at the group of girls who now stood in front of her just outside the hallway in the ball room. Emma was at the head. Clearly the girl didn't know when to give up and was still bent on becoming queen. _This was the last thing she needed, or wanted for that matter._ But, she raised her eyebrows, sinking into the queen demeanor she had seen Blair display so often. She said nothing, her lips pursed. These girls were below her, at least _she_ had a heart. However contradicting that thought might be. She would contemplate it later.

Emma and the girls stared at her anyways, but finally sighed. "I see your date's disappeared," she shrugged, smiling. "Guess you didn't meet up to his expectations."

Jenny's eyes narrowed and she took a step towards the girl. "I see you don't know your place."

Emma's head reared back.

"Don't think I don't know how desperate you were to lose your virginity. So much so that Blair and Chuck _combined_ had to stop you with a _fake_ tip to Gossip Girl?"

Her forehead creased and her small lips pouted. She could feel the heated stares of the girls around her. Jenny smirked.

"That not only shouts future career as a stripper, but how slow and stupid you must be in order to believe a lie by Chuck Bass, who…by the way, was my date tonight. He only left to go home to his girlfriend, Blair Waldorf. The girl who turned the most notorious womanizer on the Upper East Side to a smug, faithful boyfriend. There are the people I'm connected to. Who do you have?"

Emma said nothing. _Quite honestly, she didn't know what else she was going to say to begin with. So Jenny didn't have a date with her now. She had had Chuck Bass, her soon to be brother, and Blair Waldorf, the most epic queen to reign at Constance, on her side as well._

There was no messing with Jenny Humphrey, and when Emma walked away…the group of girls _didn't_ follow her. She frowned, but it wasn't like she really had a leg to stand on. She thought, after the fact, that she could have boasted of both Chuck and Blair having to bring her down…that she was that strong-willed. But Jenny would have connected it back to her desperate pursuit that night, and it would have made her sink even lower.

The girls who had surrounded Emma before though weren't welcome by the reigning queen either. At least not for tonight. Jenny glared at the group and they scampered away. Clearly they were not welcome.

"Hey Eric," she sighed and the boy turned around, his boyfriend beside him snapping his attention to her as well.

"Jenny, how'd it go?" he asked, eager but sympathetic by the way her face had fallen into a frown. She shook her head.

"It—it was good," she nodded. The two boys shared a look and then looked back at her in skepticism.

"Jenny." His voice lowered, and she rolled her eyes, finally looking at the two in their dead-set eyes.

"He left to go home with Blair, and we don't hate each other."

Their eyes were still pinned to hers.

"It went…_well_," she emphasized, speaking slowly. The two sighed and turned back to their prior positions. Neither felt she was really alright, but they decided to let the matter drop. What was supposed to be accomplished had been accomplished. _Chuck clearly felt he had made things right with Jenny, and then he had dashed home to be with Blair. Because when all the facts and feelings are all lined up, the brunettes would truly be lost without each other. Especially Chuck without Blair._

"Jen." She whirled around at the sound of her name and the tap on her shoulder. She didn't see it, but Jonathan and Eric shared a knowing look and walked away, giving the two some privacy.

"Dan, hey," she greeted, trying to sound enthusiasm.

"You don't sound excited!" he mock-cheered. It caused a smile on both of their faces.

"Sorry, I just—" her eyebrows furrowed, "did you spend the whole night by the punch bowl?"

"What?" he asked incredulously, "Me? Of course not, I mean why would I…"

She raised her eyebrows at his lies and he conceded.

"Yes," he chuckled. "It seems everyone else was quite occupied."

She smirked, her thoughts of Chuck vanishing. "Dance with me."

His smile widened, a twinkle of brotherly affection in his eyes. He held out his hand to her and she took it, letting him lead her out onto the dance floor. "We've got less than ten minutes," he pulled her to him for a sweet, slow dance. "Let's make it worth it."

She giggled. "You are so corny," she shook her head.

"But that's why you love me," he claimed. She rolled her eyes.

"If you insist." He smirked.

In the distance Carter and Serena were still dancing. They couldn't have gotten closer if they tried, and they looked so in love it was almost painful to look at them. Her tumbling gold locks straying off her shoulders and his lips pressed up against her cheek. The breaths he breathed out tickled her neck, and it was pure sweetness just to watch.

Nate and Vanessa were sitting at a table a little ways off. It looked so hopeful, the two. There were tear tracks that Jenny could vaguely see had tumbled down her face, but Nate wiped them away, and the two held hands in the middle of the table. They didn't appear as perfect and lovely as Carter and Serena, just in the stance—in their emotions, but they were still beautiful, and Jenny smiled for that fact. It was Nate and Vanessa. He always back to her, and whether hurting or not, she was always waiting.

The song ended, and the band announced how they'd be leaving in just a few songs. They asked if there were any requests, and surprisingly no one came around, so they just chose what they claimed to be their favorites and begun to play. Jenny had stopped moving and her dancing partner had released her hands, gesturing to the beverage table once she refocused in on the situation. It seemed she had zoned out once again. She smirked and shook her head at his suggestion. She just turned to walk after Eric and Jonathan again, after a quick _thank-you_ to her brother. The two boys didn't bring up her prior stress but instead fell into the familiar ground of small talk, of what was_ new_.

She didn't care to think on the issue anyways. If she and Chuck were okay, then she and Chuck would be okay. He was a man of his word and it was almost funny to think about, but it was so visible in his interactions with everybody, especially Blair. And he hadn't left after all, until things had been made right with _her_.

She smiled at the thought.

_"…I'm not going to be that guy, Jenny," he said, not much of an explanation playing at the edge of his lips. Her eyebrows fused, and she hoped beyond all hope he would explain himself. "I'm not going to be that almost brother that you despise but now want to be close to and won't let you in."_

_Her eyes widened, wondering how he'd known. She thought he could only read __**Blair**__ so easily. __**Coincidence**__, she thought._

"_I'm not going to pretend tonight didn't happen."_

The words warmed her, and she settled more easily into her conversation with Eric and Jonathan. The two breathed easier too.

_Chuck Bass, her brother_.

She liked the sound of that.

* * *

There he stood again. By the punch bowl. Five minutes to go and several people had left already. The pink foaming liquid in front of him had hardly been touched. Half gone at best. He hoped it wasn't because his lonely self had been standing there practically all night long. He wasn't an insect after all. _It wasn't as if he didn't dance with anybody—he danced with his sister for crying out loud!_

_God, he sounded pathetic._

"Excuse me, hello?"

He turned to face a pretty blonde, holding out her hand and he guessed, trying to introduce herself.

"I'm Olivia," she smiled, brightly.

"I'm Dan," he chuckled. "Do I…_know_ you?" he raised his eyebrows, hoping he hadn't dismissed the vision before him for some illusion from his dreams.

She laughed a little. "Uh, no, actually I'm going to be Vanessa's roommate."

"Oh!"

She smiled. "Yeah, we've only met like once, but she told me all about you."

He shook his head. "That's Vanessa. Telling everyone her life story two seconds after she meets them."

Her eyes widened. "Oh no, it wasn't like that. She didn't—I mean, I just asked and—"

"It's okay," he raised his hand, and it calmed her suddenly tense and rapid speech. "I know. I was just…teasing." He winked at her and she had to fight to prevent herself from blushing. "Punch?" he offered, holding up a glass to her. There were so many to choose from.

She smiled, accepting it and taking a sip. There was a pink mark from the beverage resting just above her upper lip and he took the liberty of informing her, watching as she wiped it off with a napkin.

_She was adorable._

* * *

Three hours later and they had had sex five more times. Blair was exhausted, and though she'd hardly be able to work up the energy to start a sixth—or seventh rather—round of sex, the heat was rising in her again and she had to distract herself.

She actually _wanted_ to get some sleep tonight.

_Step 1: Put some distance between them. _

The warmth was nice, but when it rose too high she lost herself. Lost control. And while good in some instances, needed to be restrained in others. Therefore, she would put on a nightie. That would solve the problem, she guessed.

Blair turned away slowly, not wanting to wake him. Waking him was never a good idea, not when his sexual appetite was as easily aroused by hers as hers was for his, or more so. She managed to get a good inch away before he so much as stirred. _Progress_. But he moaned unfavorably when she tried to remove his arm from around her waist. _Epic fail._

She sighed.

"Blair?" he asked, his eyes weary. But she could feel him against her backside even so. It seemed his member woke up far faster than his brain or eyes could even attempt.

"I'm just getting something," she mumbled, trying to remove his arm from around her again. It only tightened.

His eyebrows furrowed. "What?" He rubbed at his eyes finally, trying to clear his vision and remove the sleepy crumbs. Blair took her chance and rolled out of bed, being sure to catch herself before she hit the floor. Then, her mouth formed a small, perfect, little pout and it dazed him just to look at her.

_She was too far away._

"Blair," he groaned. He didn't know which would be more of a curse, being blind or having sight.

"No," she emphasized, widening her eyes at him. "I am finding a nightie and then we are going to sleep."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Really now?"

"Yes!" she whined. "We can't keep having sex until we've killed each other! I want to sleep!" she stomped her foot and he chuckled.

She sighed. "Where is my stuff?" He pointed vaguely across the room to some drawers and she headed for them, feeling his heated stare on her the whole way over.

"Bass," she warned, her voice rising. "Stop seducing me from behind!"

He laughed again. "Oh, you know me so well, Waldorf," he leaned back against his pillows as she slipped a blue silk nightgown over her head and slid it so fit loosely on her body. When she turned back to him, he was looking at her again, but it was seductive and she looked at him strangely because of it.

"What?" she asked, walking towards the bed again.

"Stop," he said, and she froze, watching as he rose from where he had laid.

"Chuck," she half-whined. His erection was killing her. And though the nightie had covered her up a bit, it hadn't completely. He slipped on some pajama bottoms though and both of their heats cooled off just a tad. "What?" she blinked, adjusting her vision to his soft brown eyes. His expression had cooled as well, and nothing but pure undeniable love shown in those eyes.

"Dance with me," he said, holding out his hand to her.

Her eyebrows fused. "Why?"

"We missed the dance. You and I missed the dance." He took a step towards her. "Dance with me."

_Abandon steps._

She smiled softly and walked the distance to him. They moved past the discarded clothes on the floor and began to sway to the steady beating of their hearts, the racing feel of their breaths on each other's face and neck.

"You're such a romantic." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"Can you blame me?"

She could not find it in her to answer.

But she did feel his hand linger farther down the length of her back. And in one quick moment she slapped it away but he pulled her flush up against him as she did, and made the sweetest nothings sound like dirty lust burning in her ears.

Her eyes rolled back.

_They were never going to sleep._

* * *

A/N: Okay, so the last two scenes were far shorter than I would have liked, but I'm tired and therefore going to excuse it. XD I didn't want to get too much into Dan/Olivia because then it would've seemed more like an excuse than the start of something new, than a beautiful beginning. Heh. Which is what it was at first on the show. Heh. And the last scene? *shrug* I just liked how I ended it. Heh. I know, not much CaS, but I did have their major closure a few chapters back and so I think it's fine. Plus I'll have a cutesy little scene with them in the epilogue, so stick around if you wanna see that. ;p I hope you liked this and found it worth it to continue beyond those first 3 chapters. ;) REVIEW! :D

Epilogue to come! =D


	14. EPILOGUE

A/N: Okay, this is the end. Lol. Thank-you all SO much those of you who stuck through this all. Heh. It worried me when I had like 12 reviews per chapter in the beginning and then only half as many (if that) per chapter afterwards. Heh. Plus the whole CJB thing was annoying, since I was so obviously not putting CJ in a romantic environment whatsoever. *rolls eyes* In fact, I just saw an almost CJ vid a little bit ago and it made my little heart ache in disgust. So, I think that proves my point. *nods* Thank-ya all for sticking around. I'll be updating QBR pretty soon too, so make sure you R & R that one as well. Thanks again! ;D

* * *

**EPILOGUE—**

She giggled, wiping the sauce off his upper lip. She sucked briefly on her finger to rid herself of the sauce and he smiled wildly.

"_You_ are adorable," he pulled her in for a brief kiss, wrapping an arm about her waist and pulling her along down the street.

"Why thank-you, Carter Baizen, you are adorable too." She gave a curt nod. He smirked, shaking his head.

"So, we have eaten hot dogs and I have gotten ketchup on my face. What's next on the to-do list?" he quirked an eyebrow.

She stopped them and turned towards them, and it was only her that he saw. The day was beautiful, warm and sunny. The sky was the purest blue and they could be doing anything and everything they wanted. But she had wanted to walk to streets near the beach and he had complied. Whatever Serena wanted she got. He was whipped, love-struck and without a care in the world. He never wanted to change.

"Just kiss me," she said, and he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Heaven whirled around him, an aura so strong he thought he'd dreamt it and this was all just in his head. But her slender fingers wrapped up in his hair, and her perfect little-kid giggles could never have been concocted by anyone by her. He was falling for her, and she was never gonna get away.

…………

His phone clicked shut, and he turned to Vanessa.

"It's done," he exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Scott just left to go back home. I guess he was really only here some weeks before school started," she shrugged. "I still find it odd that he completely complied with my jealous request." She shook her head. Nate smirked.

"I'm glad he did."

She bit her bottom lip softly.

"It was just the push I needed." He nodded, seeming to confirm this information to himself instead of to her. Her eyes twinkled at him and then neutralized, almost darkening a little.

"So…Bree?" she asked.

He sighed again. "Well, she was a little upset, especially since…" he rubbed his hand at the base of his neck, "I did it over the phone." He laughed, and she laughed softly with him, shaking her head.

"Yeah, that is kind of…not gentleman-like," she smiled.

"And I _do_ pride myself in that," he chuckled. "But…apparently she saw it coming. And our families really don't get along anyways, so whether I hadn't been over you or not, it wouldn't have lasted."

She nodded, forcing herself not to tell him their fingers were intertwined. His confessions the night before may not have made up for everything he had done to her—all the hurt—but she loved him so much. She would have to force herself just as much to slow down…it was her turn to lead.

…………….

"So…Dan…"

His head cocked up to look at her. "Hmm?"

"Are you excited?!" she mocked enthusiasm. He rolled his eyes, looking back down.

"Oh yes!" he followed the flow of tone in her voice. "Have you seen my new pile of school books?" He asked, lifting the pile of nearly ten books for the six classes he had signed up for her. It almost pained her to look at him. His face was almost turning red and he grunted softly, putting the books down again.

"Wow," she shook her head, "Clearly you need to start working out." She moved past him to the living room, laying herself down and flipping on the television.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, this came for you." Dan dropped a note on her lap as he came into the loft after her, rubbing his reddened, sore hands on his pants. He would not tell anyone about this 'weak' experience.

_Dearest Sister,_

_It seems I was uninformed of the brother-sister dance at last night's ball. It would be to your benefit to let me know at the next event. Just make sure I'd be sneaking in as an alumnus, instead of being honored unawares. _

_ -Chuck_

Jenny smirked, folding the note back up and holding it safe in her hands. All her doubts further erased themselves from her mind, the ones that hadn't vanished when she lay sleeping the night before. He _did_ care about her. He just cared about Blair a little more, and that made her bubble up inside.

Especially when he was making up nonexistent dances.

_What a brother she had._

……………...

"Mmm," she moaned into him as he kissed her, and he fought hard to keep his hand on her waist and his focus on her lips and tongue, instead of the skin and perfect limbs just waiting to be touched beneath that curve-hugging red dress of hers. The white headband and pearls were a perfect match to her ensemble. He couldn't have planned it better himself. But seeing her about to settle into the limo without a goodbye from _him_?

It was just downright offensive.

"Just a little more," he pleaded, when she finally pulled away. She bit her lip and smiled at him, cupping his face with her hands.

"You'll have to wait, Chuck Bass."

He frowned.

"I gave you more than enough last night!" she insisted.

He laughed. "I had to fight for it a little." She shook her head at him.

"_Hardly_. When you're concerned there is very little resistance on my part," she sighed, straightening the headband on her head and then the tie running down his shirt.

He smirked. "This is not always the case," he shook his finger at her. She raised her eyebrows in doubt. But the knowing look in his eyes reminded her of the multiple times in which she had interrupted him in his office for some flirty banter and afternoon sex. She rolled her eyes.

"You can't work all day without playing a little."

He shook his head. "No, most definitely not." He nuzzled his nose against hers and she sighed contently, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I'm gonna miss you, Bass," she murmured, pressing her lips to his neck.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confused, "You're gonna be downtown not on the West Coast!"

She smiled, nodding softly. "This is true…"

"Just a breath away," he whispered in her ear. Chills went up her spine.

"And that's my cue," she backed away. His eyebrows furrowed and yet he laughed. "We can't have sex on the street, Chuck!" But she was laughing too. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles and shut the door after she stepped into the limo, blowing her a kiss on departure.

"Love you," he murmured, and she met the movement of his lips with a similarly repeated action. _Love you more._

………………………………

Her things were packed away, and she was returning from the small commonly known coffee shop on campus. A purse around her shoulder and her hair fluttering in the wind, she nearly jumped when the vibrations from her phone brought her out of her daze. She flipped the phone open and smiled infectiously at the message.

**Turn around.**

** -xo **

She spun and there he was, less than half a block away. She put this moment in her memory box to remember for all of time. Chuck Bass _ran_, beautiful flowers in one hand and his heart in the other, he reached her and kissed her hard on the lips, lifting her from the ground a few inches.

"I've missed you," he sighed into her, relishing in the feel of her flush up against him.

"I missed you too," she breathed, her arms wrapped around him and her eyes pinned to his. "But three hours, Chuck? _Really?_" she quirked an eyebrow and he chuckled.

"Really," he confirmed, setting her back on the ground.

She smiled and looked to the flowers in his right hand. "Peonies?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Peonies," he said.

She smiled wider. "Chuck Bass?" she asked, laying her hand over his heart. He rested his hand on top of hers and kept his eyes on her smiling face.

"Blair Waldorf."

* * *

A/N: Short, I know, but I hope you still liked it. ;p It is finished! Lol Please review! ;p


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